Porcupinefish, Zebra Eels, Leopard Geckos, Owl Monkeys, Giraffe Beetles, & 251 other BIZARRE Creatures DAWN CUSICK
copyright 2011 by Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc. Text copyright 2011 by Dawn Cusick All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. Charlesbridge and colophon are registered trademarks of Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc. An Imagine Book Published by Charlesbridge 85 Main Street Watertown, MA 02472 (617) 926-0329 www.charlesbridge.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is Available ISBN 978-1-60734-436-0 Display type and text type set in Gotham Book and AdLib. Designed by Susan McBride Jacket Design by Celia Naranjo Copy Editing by Catherine Ham Produced by EarlyLight Books For information about custom editions, special sales, premium and corporate purchases, please contact Charlesbridge Publishing at specialsales@charlesbridge.com To my parents, Joyce & Gene Cusick
CONTENTS Part 1 9 Tigers 10 Leopards 18 Zebras 20 Elephants 22 Peacocks 24 Rhinos 26 Camels 27 Squirrels 28 Skunks 29 Bats 30 Rats 31 Cats 32 Dogs 33 Alligators 34 Snakes 35 Wolves 36 Scorpions 37 Spiders 38 Ruby Tiger Moth Alligator Snapping Turtle
Part 2 41 Spiders 42 Moths 45 Flies 48 Beetles 50 Frogs 52 Owls 54 Monkeys 56 Seals 57 Snakes 58 Eels 60 Sharks 62 Fish 66 Pigfish Name Games 78 Index 79 Zebra Eel
Part 1 Welcome to the wild and wacky world of Cool Animal Names! Before you turn the page, get your brain ready to play. Check out the animal pictures on the left page, then close your eyes and imagine an alligator turtle, a squirrel monkey, a parrot snake, a skunk beetle, a tiger salamander, a fox shark, and a scorpion fly. Pretty bizarre pictures, aren t they? When you re ready for more, you will meet tiger snails, zebra fish, and many other cool animals! 9
Tigers are the largest cats in the world. They live in China, Russia, and some other parts of Asia. Three types of tigers have gone extinct, and the remaining six types are endangered. tiger STRIPES Tiger stripes can be grey, brown, or black. These stripes help tigers blend in with their environment. Hiding is important for tigers because they are ambush predators and catch prey by sneaking up on them. All tigers have stripes, but the stripe pattern on every tiger is different. tiger Tiger Snakes (right) are a type of cobra with circular bands of black and yellow stripes that look like tiger stripes. They eat small birds, small mammals, and frogs. Tiger- Legged Monkey Tree Frogs (above) live near small ponds in India and Pakistan. Adult tiger-legged monkey tree frogs do not look like tigers, but their tadpoles behave like them! The tadpoles have two rows of teeth with strong jaws, and are good hunters. 10
Ruby Tiger Moths (right) are a reddish-brown tiger moth with brushy tufts around their heads. There are more than 10,000 species (types) of tiger moths! See more tiger moths on page 17. Tiger Salamanders (left) spend their days in burrows in the ground to keep their skin moist. At night, they come out of their burrows to hunt bugs, worms, and small frogs. Tiger salamanders were named for their yellow spots and stripes. There are several types of tiger salamander. The salamander on the left is an Eastern tiger salamander; the one on the far left is a mottled tiger salamander. Tiger Pythons (right) are a type of python with tiger-like patterns on their scales. The snake shown here is a purple tiger albino. 11
Tiger Eels (above) live in the oceans near Australia and Africa. Their bodies are covered with black spots. They spend most of their time hiding, covered in sand, but come out to hunt small fish. Tiger Shrimp (above) were named for their large size and their black stripes. They are found off the coasts of China, Japan, India, Thailand, Korea, and East Africa. Tiger Shrimp are a popular menu item in many restaurants. Tiger Sharks (left) have both spots and stripes. They also have big eyes and big mouths. They are one of the few types of sharks known to attack people, but this may be because they hunt for fish in shallow waters where people swim and snorkel. 12