Cartoon animals and drawing go hand in hand. Think about this for a second, how many cartoon movies, have you seen that didn’t have any animals in them? What I’m trying to say here is that people love animals, especially when they’re cartoons! I know I love them, don’t you?So, if we can agree that everyone loves them then I’m sure your next question must be: “How can I learn to draw cartoon animals?” That’s a fantastic question and I’m glad that you asked it. Let me tell you how you can get started.

Look below and you’ll see several step-by-step lessons that can help get you started. Each month we’ll add more tutorials to this page. If you’re really interested, sign up for the Drawing Coach news letter to the right and I’ll make sure that each month you’re kept up to date what new drawing lessons and tutorials have been added to the site.

In each lesson you’ll learn to use simple shape to begin, and progress through each stage of the drawing until you have a finished piece truly worthy of hanging on your fridge or on your wall!

Caribou (Rangifer tarandus)
The caribou is in the order of Artioldactyl and is a member of the deer family. It looks like a large mule deer or small elk with soft hollow hair, long legs, large hooves and large antlers. In Alaska, 97 to 99 percent of the females have antlers as well as the males. Both male and female caribou have blunt muzzles with hair all the way down to the muzzle.Although the caribou looks like a deer, they are different from other members of their family in many ways. They are not too shy (unless in common hunting area), they are capable of sleeping in water, and are herd animals that are always on the move. This tamable animal likes to eat moss and lay in the shade, but they hate the nasty flies that bite them, and lay their eggs in their back. The flies are one reason the caribou is always on the move, the other reason is that caribou eat moss called lichen (lie-Ken) that takes years to grow back.

Characteristics and Physical Features of the Caribou
Identification:

Size: 4-5 ft.
Weight: 500+ lb.
Color: Greyish, and brown with white on the neck and back areas.

Distinguishing Characteristics: 3 ft. antlers.

Breeding: They breed in the fall.
Habitat:

Range: Throughout the arctic tundra of Russia, Alaska, Canada and Greenland.

Diet: Moss and lichen.

What is the relationship between reindeer and caribou?

Caribou are wild, if they are domesticated they are called reindeer. Eurasians do not use the name caribou at all, they use the terms wild and domestic reindeer. Arctic people hunt caribou for the good meat and warm hide so they have names for caribou to specify age and gender; three of them are pagnnig (adult bull), julanak (adult female) and norraq (calf).
Why does the caribou shovel snow in the winter?

The caribou eats food under the snow, to get at it the caribou must shovel the snow. He nods his head and shoves snow out of the way like a horse would.
How do the does the caribou get two meals for one price?

When the caribou eats, the food goes down to the caribou’s first stomach, where it is mashed into small balls called cud and stored to eat at the caribou’s next meal.
When did a warm coat cause the caribou to become endangered?

The caribou has a very warm very soft fur that is hollow, insulated, and sheds water and snow. This valuable fur was traded for a lot of money in the 1800’s. The caribou population kept dropping because of overhunting until laws were passed to protect it.
Why do caribou fight?

In the fall when caribou gather in together the herd must be lead by one caribou so they fight for the lead position.
Is a broken antler a serious problem?

Yes. But only between April and August in the “velvet stage” when the antlers are velvety. When the antler is broken it loses blood flow to the antler and velvet.
What consequence can come to the caribou from fighting?

The caribou can get cut and bruised. The worse consequence is it’s horns can lock and the caribou not be able to unlock their horns so they will starve.caribou_2.jpg (6449 bytes)
Can you bullfight with a caribou?

Yes. Even though the caribou is color blind, the caribou will follow the movements and charge the flag (But please don’t try this!).
How are caribou like sheep?

The Laplanders herd the caribou so that they can have the tender caribou meat and warm hide. The hide is often made into blankets, clothing and shelter. They use the antlers and bones for toys, tools and weapons.
What prevents a caribou from freezing in the winter?

Caribou eat large quantities of food to increase their internal heat production. Also to conserve heat the caribou has hollow hairs rooted in a thick layer of fat. They also prevent heat loss from their thin, long legs by having two circulation systems. The circulation through the legs is up to 50 degrees colder than the circulation system for the rest of their body.

The arctic tern is a relatively small bird. It is also one of the most determined. Even though it is small it is still able to accomplish the remarkable feat of migrating over 22,000 miles (35,000 km) each year. The distance that it migrates is the longest of any bird. This mileage would be accurate if it flew in a straight line to where it was migrating to and from. But since it takes a lot of excursions the distance it flies each year is even greater. In fact the arctic tern almost never lands and is known to be in daylight more than dark because of its migration schedule.

Characteristics and Physical Features of the Arctic Tern
Identification:

Length: 12-15 in.
Weight: Under 2 lb. approximately
Color: White with a black head and a bright orange beak.

Distinguishing Characteristics: Black markings under each wing and its bright orange beak make the arctic tern stand out among other birds.

Breeding: Breeds north of the 50th parallel. It lays clutches of one to three eggs. It takes 20 to 24 days to incubate the eggs.  Eggs are laid in grassy areas for protection from their predators and also because there are no trees in the Arctic.
Habitat:

Range: The entire northern hemisphere Arctic area. It is a circumpolar animal.

Diet: Small fish, shrimp, krill, or insects and small invertebrates.

Who takes care of the hatchlings?

Both the male and female terns help incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch in about 23 days after they are laid. The hatchlings leave the nest quickly and hide in nearby vegetation. Until they can feed themselves the parents catch small fish and carry it to them in their bills.
Are arctic terns sociable birds?

They are remarkable for their social habits. They live together in groups of about 50 tern which are called colonies. Sometimes they will adopt to their colony different species of terns and sea gulls.
What is a “fish flight”?

During the breeding or courtship time male terns fly a v. They take a small fish in their bill and pass as low as they can over the female on the ground. If she notices him she’ll join him in doing this “fish flight” and they will soon mate.
How is an arctic tern like a duck?

Unlike some birds they have webbed feet like a duck when you look at a tern you would think that its’ feet would be like other sea birds but they aren’t. Even though they are in the gull family they don’t have feet like a gull.
Do arctic terns like to get wet?

Research has shown that arctic terns will do everything possible totern photo courtesy Krog’s Kamp stay out of the water. Terns don’t swim well even though their feet are webbed because they have small feet so they swoop down, catch the fish, and keep flying to stay out of the water.
How is an arctic tern like a hummingbird?

Both the tern and the hummingbird can hover in midair. Most birds are not able to do this. This is an important thing for the tern to be able to do when it hunts or does its “fish flight”.
What does “on the wing” mean?

Arctic terns hardly ever land. So they eat while flying most of the time. When terns eat insects they catch them “on the wing”. This means they catch them while flying.
How do arctic people benefit from the arctic tern?

Because fish swim in schools that include both large and small fish natives watch to see where arctic terns are feeding.  By monitoring where the terns hunt they are able to find large schools of fish and increase their catch.

Bears are among the best and least known of animals. Everyone recognizes a giant panda, for instance, while few people can picture a sloth bear.

Native to the Indian sub-continent, sloth bears are fascinating, unusual bears that charm and delight those who visit them. Our new sloth bear exhibit on Asia Trail will introduce these animals to millions more people. The exhibit is the one closest to the Zoo’s Connecticut Avenue entrance.

At the Zoo

Asia Trail is home to four sloth bears. Balawat, a male cub, was born on January 9, 2006. He is now independent of his mother and can sometimes be seen together with Khali, an adult female who debuted at the Zoo in the spring of 2008. Balawat’s mother, Hana, and father, Merlin, are exhibited separately. The sloth bear yards are the ones closest to the Zoo’s Connecticut Avenue entrance.
February 2009 Update, continued

The pairing of our male bears seems to benefit both of them since they are playful and enjoy companionship. Merlin still needs some alone time, though, as Bala can wear him out pretty quickly so Bala spends his evenings with Khali, one of the Zoo’s two female sloth bears. Some days you may see Merlin on his own (without Bala). We try to keep a close eye on his mood and energy level, and he can get cranky if he doesn’t get enough rest.

We gave Khali the option of hanging out with the male bears during the day, but she likes her alone time, especially at this time of year when bears like to sleep a lot.

Hana, who has also been spending a lot of time sleeping this winter, has been more active recently and should be seen out in the yard more when the weather is nice.

Unfortunately, the bears may not be outside for public viewing when the weather is too cold or wet since sloth bears are used to a tropical habitat and don’t tolerate the cold weather too well. The yards can also get very icy making them too dangerous to traverse.
September 2008 Update

Things seem to be in constant flux up here with our sloth bears. Currently, Khali is in a yard with Balawat (shown at left), the male bear born here in early 2006. Hana, his mother, decided Bala was old enough to go off on his own this past spring; she was ready to be an empty-nester. He didn’t agree, unfortunately—one keeper thinks cubs never do—and as it is for all animals, in the wild or in zoos, it’s been a difficult time for him. Because he wasn’t adjusting well to being on his own, we began giving him visual access to Merlin, his father, and Khali, a female who arrived a few months ago, for companionship.

Khali and Bala became quick friends through the mesh door and we eventually decided to put them together since Bala seemed to benefit greatly from her companionship. Unfortunately, that means Merlin is on his own again, but he’s a big boy and he’s comfortable being on his own (which Bala wasn’t). Merlin now has visual access to Khali and Bala, so they interact at the mesh door in the evening when everyone is inside.

We’ve been doing intros between Merlin and Hana in the hopes of getting the two of them back together, but it hasn’t been as successful as we’d hoped. Hana seems pretty content being on her own again and isn’t that interested in being with Merlin. Merlin has been excited to see her again but the feelings aren’t being reciprocated. We have yet to make a decision about whether to continue pursuing their relationship or whether to look into the possibility of trying to put Merlin with Khali and Bala (not a typical grouping for sloth bears but one that may work well for ours).
Female Sloth Bear Debuts at the Zoo (April 2008)

KhaliVisitors exploring Asia Trail can now see Khali, a nine-year-old female sloth bear who is a non-breeding companion for 26-year-old male sloth bear Merlin.

She arrived from the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle late last year, but has only recently joined Merlin on exhibit following gradual introductions between the pair. In addition to Khali and Merlin, the Zoo is also home to two other sloth bears, 13-year-old Hana, and her two-year-old cub, Balawat. He is about the age when sloth bear cubs become independent of their mothers and is currently exhibited separately from his mother.
Sloth Bear Cub Weighs 200 Pounds (January 2008)

Balawat, our sloth bear cub, turned two on January 9! He’s currently weighing in at a little over 200 pounds, just slightly heavier than his mom, but looking much larger due to the thick, fluffy coat of hair he’s sporting.

Despite his size, Bala is still very much a cub. He still nurses occasionally, loves to run around and play with his enrichment toys (such as feeder balls), and is a star when it comes to training. He has been trained to have his teeth brushed, and gets on the scale like a pro.

It is normal for sloth bear cubs to stay with their mother for up to three years, so Bala still has a ways to go in terms of growing up, and Hana is still pretty protective of him.
Spring 2007 Update

He’s an absolute star at training. We’ve trained many behaviors with him—open mouth, show paws, show feet, stand up, lie down—and recently we started brushing his teeth.

Sloth bears have notoriously bad teeth because, when they suck up insects, some dirt or tree bark will get in too, and it wears away the bears’ teeth. We’re hoping to keep Bala’s teeth in better shape by starting young. He’s very good at holding the open-mouth position and seems to enjoy the brushing sensation against his teeth and gums. Only occasionally does he try to steal the toothbrush, but every time he gives it right back so we can continue brushing.

We have moved the time of our daily sloth bear feeding demos to 11:30 since the bears have been napping in the heat of the day and not getting up for the 2:30 demos. We have also started doing some of the training with Bala on exhibit (during the demo) so the public can see something that is usually done behind the scenes. We just ask him for the behaviors up at the glass and then reward him with mealworms through the termite mound.

The termite mound is in the exhibit and has a tube that goes to the other side, kept behind a locked door. During the demos, we unlock the door, place mealworms in our hands, and hold one end of the tube over the mealworms. The sloth bears go up to the termite mound and suck up the mealworms through the long tube.

Amazonia

The Amazon River stretches more than 4,000 miles. The tropical rainforest of its watershed is home to millions of species of plants and animals, making it the planet’s most diverse ecosystem. The Zoo is home to an Amazonia Exhibit and animals from Amazonia, as well as many animals from other parts of South America.
Giant Anteater Leaves Zoo

one-year-old AuroraAurora, the first giant anteater born at the Zoo, has left the National Zoo for the Nashville Zoo, under a recommendation by the Species Survival Plan. In Nashville, she will be paired with Gabe, a young male. The new couple will then find their home in France at the ZooParc de Beauval.

When she turned one year old on July 24, Aurora was full grown. The largest of four anteater species, giant anteaters may grow five to seven feet long, from nose to tail. Giant anteaters live in South America, from southern Belize to northern Argentina, and eat up to 30,000 insects in a day.

Aurora’s mother, Maripi, and father, Dante, can be seen in their yard, near Lemur Island. Maripi is usually out in the morning, and Dante is usually out in the afternoon.

Read previous updates and watch a video.
Year of the Frog

There are more than 6,000 species of amphibians on Earth, including frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. One thousand or more may be found in Amazonia. One-third of amphibians are threatened with extinction. Find out about the extinction crisis.

Amazonia Exhibit

The Zoo’s Amazonia Exhibit leads visitors into the realm of the Amazon River Basin, where giant arapaima, pacu, red-tailed catfish, and piranhas swim in shallow water, and poison arrow frogs, titi monkeys, tanagers, a scarlet macaw, and a two-toed sloth inhabit the world above. Living kapok, avocado, and cocoa trees spread their roots in this enclosed tropical habitat. click toTake an audio tour of the exhibit.

Adjacent to the exhibit, the Amazonia Science Gallery offers a glimpse into the scientific research Zoo staff conduct in the lab and in the field.

link to Amazonia photo gallery | link toHelp with cam

Can’t see any animals?
The animal in this exhibit may have moved out of view. FONZ volunteers operate some cams, but most of our cams show a fixed view.

Watching Amazon river fishes: Here is a glimpse into the rich and vibrant underwater life of the Amazon. When the large, serpent-like arapaimas swim past the camera, you will get a close-up look at one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. The ones you can see here range from five to six feet in length, but may reach up to ten feet and weigh 300 pounds. Red-tailed catfish, black pacus, and other fish share this 27,000-gallon aquarium below a living tropical forest.
Find out more about Amazonia Habitat and its Science Gallery.

Spectacled Bears

spectacled bearThe Zoo is home to two South spectacled bears, which live in a habitat near Amazonia. The only bear native to South America, spectacled bears have a thick black or brown coat and light-colored “spectacles” that ring their eyes. The whitish or cream markings extend down to the throat and chest in a pattern unique to each bear. click for more

Find Out About Our Bears

In March 2007, Zoo keeper Tracey Barnes talked to Washington Post Radio’s Jerry Phillips about the Zoo’s spectacled bears. Listen to Tracey’s interview and learn about the lives and habits of these fascinating bears, including a 15-year-old male that debuted at the Zoo in January. The interview (5:15) originally aired on Washington Post Radio (107.7 FM and 1500 AM) on March 25, 2007.

Tropical Wildlife at the Zoo

Elsewhere in the Zoo are golden lion tamarins, native to Brazilian tropical forest, which have been saved from extinction by Zoo conservationists. Golden Lion Tamarin Program

Leaf-cutter ants, Cuban crocodiles, and two species of bats hail from tropical and subtropical forests in the Americas. And, many of our familiar North American breeding birds spend the winter in these forests. Migratory Bird Center

Beyond Amazonia

Tropical forest also covers parts of Central and West Africa, home to western lowland gorillas and pygmy hippos, and the site of a major biodiversity study in Gabon, and Madagascar, home to lemurs.

In Asia, elephants, tigers, clouded leopards, orangutans and gibbons, Eld’s deer, gharial, and many other Zoo species live in tropical forests. Asia Trail

Sea turtles, a focus of long-term Zoo research, nest on tropical beaches around the world. more

Sometimes people are surprised to learn that rainforest does not blanket all of South America. Large expanses of this continent are grasslands, home to capybara, maned wolves, maras, and seriemas, among other Zoo species.

Gazelle Born at the Zoo
The Zoo is proud to announce the birth of a female dama gazelle, a critically endangered Saharan antelope, on November 2. The mother is two years old; the father is one year old. The calf weighed ten pounds at birth, and doubled in weight in just a few weeks. A total of four dama gazelles reside at the Zoo and five at the Zoo’s Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Virginia.

The mother and her baby are bonding and doing well. Tony Barthel, curator for the animals at Cheetah Conservation Station, said, “Twenty-four hours after birth, the calf was given a neonate exam that confirmed the calf’s sex. The exam also confirmed signs of nursing and the calf has since been observed nursing numerous times. The calf is healthy, very active and thriving in her new environment.”

Before cold weather set in, the calf was going into the yard to get acclimated to it and the Zoo’s small herd.

This birth is very significant for the dama gazelle population. It is estimated that fewer than 500 remain in the wild and are under constant threat due to hunting and poaching.

The Zoo plays an integral role in understanding their fundamental reproductive biology and is in the process of developing optimum techniques for sperm cryopreservation. The overall goal is to use this information to develop assisted reproductive technologies such as artificial insemination to promote genetic management of this species.

Dama gazelles are and are the focus of a new conservation project for Zoo scientists who will be working to save it from extinction by increasing the population of dama gazelles in captivity, expanding research efforts at the Zoo and in the wild and educating governments, aid agencies and citizens about the importance of wildlife conservation.

The Zoo, in collaboration with the Sahara Conservation Fund and the United Nations Secretariat for the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also is working to establish an 80,000-square-kilometer protected area—roughly twice the size of West Virginia—in Niger where scientists can conserve endangered Saharan animals.

At the Zoo, the gazelles currently share their exhibit with scimitar-horned oryx—a Saharan antelope that is currently extinct in the wild. Before Saharan antelope populations were decimated by hunting, dama gazelles and scimitar-horned oryx would have been seen in large herds, sharing the same habitat. Zoo scientists are currently working in collaboration with international colleagues to reintroduce scimitar-horned oryx back into wild with the hope that their success with that species will serve as a model for a plan to restore dama gazelles to the wild.

Very little is known about the biology of dama gazelles, and while Zoo scientists ultimately hope to reintroduce this species back to its native habitat, they have much to learn about its veterinary care, reproduction, behavior and genetics before they can achieve that goal.

Animal care staff and scientists will work together to gather basic biological data about the gazelles, including studying hormones in feces to evaluate reproduction and stress—two key factors in ensuring the health, well being and reproductive fitness of zoo animals. Staff will continue to study the natural breeding of the three adult dama gazelles currently on exhibit at the Zoo to better understand the reproductive needs of these animals in captivity.

While Zoo scientists and animal care staff will be focusing on a method for successful natural breeding, the Zoo’s world renowned-reproductive science team—the same team that pioneered artificial insemination for endangered species as black-footed ferrets and giant pandas—also will develop those breeding techniques for dama gazelles. Eventually, scientists hope that once they solve the puzzle of how to successfully artificially inseminate dama gazelles in captivity, the solution can be used for the genetic management of this species and rapidly increase their numbers for future reintroduction efforts.

In November 2007, a survey conducted by Zoo scientists and their collaborators found no sign of the species in an area that 25 years ago was home to tens of thousands dama gazelles. These gazelles serve an important role in their desert habitat. They are effective seed dispersers, with nurseries of young acacia trees growing where they have spread their dung in shady areas. Dama gazelles and other arid-land antelope can survive for months and even years without drinking water, obtaining sufficient moisture from the plants they eat in their sparsely vegetated habitats.