Cetaceans are found in all oceans of the world. In the Arctic and Antarctic they avoid ice-covered water, since they must rise to the surface to breathe. Dolphins live in the ocean, but are also found in several freshwater rivers in Asia and South America. The ocean is divided into different zones or regions based on depth, closeness to land, and underwater features. Cetaceans inhabit virtual…
Ganges and Indus river dolphins eat bottom-dwelling fish such as carp and catfish, and occasionally shrimp and clams. In captivity they eat from 1 to 3.3 pounds (0.5 to 1.5 kilograms) of fish daily. …
The baiji lives along the 1,056 miles (1,700 kilometers) of the Yangtze River in eastern China. During the late spring and early summer, this freshwater dolphin moves to smaller streams and lakes if the water is high enough. At one time the lakes of Dongting and Poyang were home to the baiji year-round, but with the drop in water level these lakes can no longer support its presence. The baiji…
Franciscana dolphins are found in the Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina in South America. Their northern boundary is near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and their southern boundary is the Valdes Peninsula in Argentina. Their distribution within this range is uneven. In some places they are rare or absent, and in others they are more common. Franciscana dolphins are us…
Botos are found in the Amazon and Orinoco River systems in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela. They require fresh water and do not live in estuaries (EST-yoo-air-eez) where rivers meet the ocean. Botos are not hunted, but are sometimes intentionally killed to prevent them from destroying fishing gear. Botos are associated in folklore with misfortune and bad luck. …
Porpoises are found along the coasts of large parts of North and South America (except the tropics and subtropics), Europe, and in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. They are also found off the coast of Siberia and northern Japan. Porpoises live in a variety of ocean habitats. The spectacled porpoise lives in cold, open ocean in the Southern Hemisphere. Another Southern Hemisphere porpoise, Bur…
Dolphins are found in every ocean and sea and in many major river systems. They are the largest family of cetaceans. Dolphins live in salt water, fresh water, and brackish water, a mixture of salt and fresh water. They live in both the open ocean and in coastal waters, although more live shallow water. Their distribution is determined mainly by the availability of prey. …
Beaked whales live in every ocean of the world. The only place they are not found is under the permanent ice pack at either pole. Beaked whales are mainly deep water whales. They can be found beyond the continental shelf in water as shallow as 660 feet (200 meters) and as deep as 9,900 feet (3,000 meters). Most live at depths of 3,300 to 9,900 feet (1,000-3,000 meters). These whales are often…
Members of this family are found in oceans worldwide. These are deep-water whales, living in water over 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) deep. Smaller species may live in slightly shallower water. Sperm whales eat mainly squid, although they will also eat fish, crabs, and octopus that live on or near the ocean bottom. Not enough is known about the smaller sperm whales to give them a conservation rat…
Both these species live in the Arctic oceans, although their distribution is not continuous. Narwhals live in deep water farther north than any other whale, following the ice pack as it grows and recedes. Beluga whales live in shallower water and are sometimes found farther south. In the summer, they move into estuaries (places where rivers empty into the ocean). They can survive in fresh wat…
Gray whales migrate between northwest Alaska in the Chukchi Sea, where they live during the summer, and the Baja Peninsula of Mexico, where they live during the winter. A few individual gray whales live year-round in the Straits of Juan de Fuca, located between the state of Washington and Vancouver Island, Canada, and off the coast of California. Most whales, however, make the 10,000-mile (16…
The pygmy right whale lives deep in Southern Hemisphere in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. Most often this species is seen around Australia, Tasmania, New Zealand, South Africa, and the southern tip of South America. Pygmy right whales live where the surface water is between 41 and 68°F (5 and 20°C). Not much else is known about the habitat preferences of this whale. T…
Right and bowhead whales can be found throughout most of the world's oceans and seas. They go farther into the Arctic than many other whales and are capable of breaking through newly formed ice up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) thick. These whales do not generally enter the warmest waters close to the equator. Right whales and bowhead whales travel long distances and can live in a variet…
Rorquals are found in all of the oceans of the world and the seas that connect to these oceans. They do not live in the parts of the Arctic and Antarctic Ocean that are covered by ice, since they must come to the surface to breathe. Rorquals are more often found in shallower parts of the ocean that are closer to land. These areas are called continental shelves. Rorquals can be seen most often…
Though not common anywhere, aardvarks live primarily in the grassland and woodlands of the part of Africa south of the Sahara desert. They have also been seen in rainforests. Termites are the aardvark's preferred food. Aardvarks will dig at a termite mound and eat the escaping termites, or look for a whole colony on the move and eat them as they march along. (© Nigel J. Denn…
African elephants live in central Africa, from Democratic Republic of the Congo to Mauritania. Asian elephants inhabit India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and southern China. All elephants are listed as Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild, by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). They are threatened by …
Hyraxes live mainly in Africa. The rock hyrax has been seen from Lebanon to Saudi Arabia. The hyrax eats mostly twigs, fruit, and bark as well as leaves, but it also feeds on lizard and bird eggs. Because their food is plant based, hyraxes can go for long periods of time without water, getting the moisture they need from the plants they eat. Some African people hunt hyraxes for food and skin.…
Sirenians live in tropical, subtropical, and temperate, or mild, regions throughout the world. The exception to this is Steller's sea cow, now extinct, which lived only in the frigid waters of the northwestern Pacific Ocean. …
Dugongs live in the tropical and subtropical Indo-Pacific. Steller's sea cow was found in the western North Pacific Ocean. Dugongids live in coastal waters that contain sea grass. Steller's sea cow lived with macroalgae, large, plant-like algae (AL-jee) also called kelp. Dugongs primarily feed on sea grasses that grow on the ocean's floor in shallow water. Steller'…
Manatees live on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In the west, they are found from the southeastern United States throughout the Caribbean region to southeastern Brazil and in rivers of the Amazon River Basin. Manatees migrate, travel from one region to another, seasonally, to Florida coastal waters during the winter months. In the east, they live along the African coast, from Senegal to Ang…
Perissodactyls are found in Asia, Africa, and America in limited populations. Tapirs are found in Central and South America and in southeastern Asia. Rhinos live throughout Central and East Africa below the Sahara Desert and in the tropical region of Asia. Horses are found in eastern and southern Africa and Asia from Near East to Mongolia. Domestic horses live throughout the world, and there …
Equids live in Africa below the Sahara Desert, in the Middle East, Arabia, Central Asia, and Mongolia. Equids graze throughout the day, and various species live in deserts to grassland and shrubland (similar to grassland, only with small trees and shrubs as well). Equids eat grasses high in fiber, which makes them more difficult to chew and digest. Their teeth are made for breaking down the r…
Tapirs live in South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia, including Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Sumatra. All four species are listed as Endangered, facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild, or Vulnerable, facing a high risk of extinction in the wild, due to habitat destruction and hunting. …
Found in Africa and Southeast Asia. Different species prefer different habitats. The white rhino likes grasslands and savannas (similar to grasslands but with small trees and bushes), while the black rhino prefers bushland and semidesert. The Indian rhino is found on meadows and swamplands, and Sumatran and Javan rhinos occupy rainforests. Rhinos are vegetarians and feed primarily on leaves, …
Artiodactyls can be found on every continent except for Antarctica and Australia. They also do not inhabit oceanic islands. …
Pigs live on every continent except Antarctica. They also occupy a number of oceanic islands. They are not indigenous (in-DIJ-un-us), native, to all ranges, but have been introduced by humans. Wild pigs are omnivorous, eating meat and plants, feeding on leaves, grasses, seeds, fruits, eggs, young trees, carrion, or dead animals, invertebrates, or animals without backbones, and small vertebrat…
Peccaries are found in southwestern North America to Mexico and Central America, as well as South America. Peccaries live in the desert areas of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. They also occupy the tropical forests and rainforests of Central America as well as the wetlands and forests of South America. They can be found in the dry tropical thorn forests of Bolivia, Paragua…
Hippos live throughout Africa. Common hippos like deep freshwater locations during the day, but venture out of the water at night to graze. The pygmy hippo lives in the forest and spends its day near or in water. Water is important to the hippo because if it can't submerge itself, its skin will crack from dehydration and overheating. Hippos are vegetarians and eat mainly grasses, thoug…
Camelidae are found from the Arabian Peninsula to Mongolia, and in western and southern South America. Alpaca and llamas are now found throughout North America since they have become popular ranch animals. Wild camelids live in the desert and semi-arid environments that have a long dry season and short rainy season. Guanacos live in warm and cold grasslands up to 13,120 feet (4,000 meters) ab…
Chevrotains are found in Southeast Asia and east central Africa. Asian chevrotains live in rainforests, lowland forests, mangrove forests, and thickets. They prefer areas with thick vegetation during the day and venture into open area at night. The vegetation provides refuge from predators. African chevrotains live in tropical rainforests and thick growth along water courses. This species esc…
Deer are found everywhere except Australia and Africa. Depending on the species, deer live in a variety of habitats. Most deer species prefer areas with thick forest undergrowth. Deer are herbivores (plant eaters) that eat lichens (fungus found on trees), leaves, twigs, shoots, berries, and grasses. They have four stomach chambers, which allow them to chew and swallow their food and then regu…
Giraffids (giraffes and okapis) are found only in sub-Saharan Africa. Giraffes live in savannas (tropical or subtropical community characterized by small trees and shrubs among herbs and grasses). Okapis live in tropical lowland forests. Giraffes are poached (illegally hunted) for their hair, which is made into thread, bracelets, fly whisks, as well as for their meat and hide. Okapi breed suc…
Found in western North America. Pronghorn are not threatened. …
Found in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. Bovids occupy a wide variety of habitats, including grasslands, swamps, tropical forests, arctic tundra, desert, cliff faces, and mountain ledges. Most abundant in tropical forests and grasslands. They occupy different habitats at different times of the year, with migration (seasonal movement from region to region) dependent upon food supply. …
