Introduction To Animals

Zoology is the study of animals and involves research in many aspects of animal life such as behaviour, diet, evolution, classification, and distribution. Animals are a major group of mostly multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metozoa. Aristotle was the one who divided the living world between animals and plants, and this was followed by Carolus Linnaeus, thus he is regarded as "The Father Of  Modern Taxonomy". Most known animal phyla  appeared int he fossil record as marine species during the Cambrian explosion, about 524 million years ago. The word "animal" comes from the latin word animalis (meaning with soul, from anima, soul). There are two types of animal; Multicellular and Unicellular animal. The animals are heterotrophs, meaning that they feed directly or indirectly on other living things. They are further subdivided into groups such as carnivores, herbivores, omnivores and parasites.

World comprises of many species of animals, and the most hearing news is about endangered species found all over the world. An endangered species is a population of organism which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Endangered species is about 40 percent of all organisms as calculated by the International Union For Conservation Of  Nature. Some of the world's endangered animals which are on their extinction state from this world are Dhole, Blue Whale, Bonobo, Ethiopian wolf, Giant panda, Snow Leopard, One horned rhino, Walrus, Bengal tiger and many more. So to preserve these rare species strict actions should be taken.

Panda

Giant pandas are a native to central-western and south western china. It has the second longest tail in the bear family.Pandas are by nature solitary animals, and most of the time avoiding direct contact with others of their own kind. It is recognized easily by by its large, distinctive black patches around the the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Panda's paw has a 'thumb' and five fingers, the thumb is actually a modified sesamoid bone, which helps the giant panda to hold  bamboo while eating. Though it is carnivora, the giant panda's diet is bamboo, other parts of diet include honey, eggs, fish, yams, shrub leaves, oranges, and bananas when available. The panda is able to climb and take shelter in hollow trees or rock crevices but does not establish permanent dens. For this reason, pandas do not hibernate, which is similar to others sub-tropical mammals, and will instead move to elevation with warmer temperatures.
It is one of the endangered species, which lives in a few mountain ranges in central China. But due to farming, deforestation, and other development, the giant panda has been driven out of the lowlands areas where they once lived. So step should be taken to conserve this rare species of the world.

Chimpanzee

Chimpanzees are members of the hominidae family, along with gorillas, humans and orangutants. Chimpanzees split from human evolution about six million years ago and the two chimpanzees are the closest living  relatives to human.The common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus pan. The two pan species split only about one million years ago.
The male common chimp is upto 5.6 ft hight while standing and weighs as much as 70 kg. The female is some what smaller. They use their long, powerful arms for climbing in trees. On the ground chimp usually walk on all fours using their knuckles for support with their hands clenched. Their coat is dark, the face finger, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet are hairless, and the chimp has no tail. The brain of the chimpanzee is about half the size of the human brain. They eat all sorts of vegeterian foods as well as animals, the list of food item is long: fruits, nuts, leaves, plants, mushrooms, flowers, insects, meat and more.

Wolf

This is the largest wild member of the Canidae family. They are social predator tat live in nuclear families consisting of a mated pair with monopolicies, foods and breeding rights, followed by their biological offspring and occasionally, adopted subordinates. Wolves are slender, powerfully built animals with large, deeply descending ribcage and slopping backs. Their abdomens are pulled in, and their necks heavely muscled. Their limbs are long and robust, with comparatively small paws. The front paws have five toes each, while the back paws have four. Medium and small sized animals preyed on by wolves includes marmots, hares, badgers, foxes, pole cats, ground squirrels and many more. In wolves the gestation lasts 62-75 days, with pups usually being born in summer period. The average litters consists of 5-6 pups.
Today, wolves are protected in some areas, hunted for sport for others, or may be subject to extermination as perceived threats to livestock and pets.

Snakes

A snake has been on earth for over 130 million years. Snakes are elongated, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborders Serpentes that can be distinguished from the legless lizard by their lack of eyelids and external ears. The english word snakecame from an old English Snaca. The fossils record of snakes are poor because snake skeleton are typically small and fragile making fossilization uncommon.
 There are various species of snakes, i.e. of 2700 species are their all over world. Their appearance, structure differs from one species to another. Some of their characteristics are they have slippery surface,without limb they can climb, swim and sometimes fly, some have deadly bite that can kill a human being. It cannot detect color but can see images. It flicks its tongue to gather air particle to assist in sensing odors. Out of 2700 known species each share three common traits, it has a thin, linear limbless body, eats meat and is cold blooded. Fertilization is internal in snake; as in lizards, the males have paired copulatory organs, either of which may be used in mating. Female of some species can store sperms for several years to ensure future fertilization.

Walrus

The walrus a large flippered marine animals. The walrus is only living species in Odobenidea family and Odobenus genus. It is divided into three sub-species, the Atlantic walrus which lives in the Atlantic ocean, the Pacific walrus are found in the pacific ocean, and O.rosmarus Laptevi which leaves in Laptev sea. Walrus are pinnipeds, pinni means wing or fin and pedis means foot. They are pink to cinnamon brown in color, and their distinguish character are, tusks, whiskers, and sounds they make. They depend on snail, clams, crabs, shrimp and worms. They like to live in shallow water by ice flows or land. The walrus migrate in the spring and fall following the food. The ice floe advance and retreat tells the walrus when to migrate. Their bones can be used to make spear heads, their oil is used for food, lights in oil lamps, also can be carved with different ornaments and pictures.

Muskox

Musk oxen are mainly related to sheep and goats than to oxen. Muskox stands 3-5 ft. They weight upto 5000-9000 lb. Both sexes have long curved horns. They are brown shaggy and have silky fur. If their fur were not like it is they would die. They have two kinds of fur. The outer fur is coarse and stiff, and their under fur is soft and able to keep them warm. Their coat, a mix of black, grey and brown includes long guard hairs that almost reach the ground. They depend upon wide variety of plants, sedges, forbs, and woody plants. One of their favorite food is willow(found near river),  so they prefer to live near rivers.
 Muskox can be domesticated and can yield excellent meat, milk, and wool. These are social and live in herds. Female are sexual mature at the age of 2, and male at the age of 5.