FAST FACTS

Mammals

• There are nearly 4,500 species.

• Mammals are very diverse and include plant - eaters,insect eaters, meat-eaters,   and omnivores (who eat everything).

• Mammals are found on the land, in water,and in the air.

•  There are five species of egg-laying monotremes, such as echidnas.

•  There are 292 species of pouched marsupials, such as the koala.

•  The remainder are placental mammals (young develop inside their mother's             uterus),such as hyenas and humans.

•  Nearly half of all mammal species are rodents.

•  Around one-fifth of all mammal species are bats.

Diary of a duck egg..

Diary of a duck egg!

Day 1

Just laid - I'm an embryo resting on a yolk food store.

Day 12

It's safe and warm in this hard shell, and at last I'm beginning to feel like a bird.

Day 20

I've been growing fast and things are a cramped in here - I'm planning to break out, but I can't find the door.

Day 21 morning

In desperation, I have begun to bash my way out with a toothy bit on my beak - I can see the light at last.

Day 21 afternoon

I'm free! My feathers have dried out, and I've found my legs and am running around. I am starting to feel a bit peckish, so will  start looking for food.

What are arachnids?

What are arachnids?

This is the group of invertebrates (animals without backbones) that includes spiders, scorpions, harvestmen, mites, and ticks. There are about 65,000 species of arachnid, half of which are spiders.

                            

 Record Breaker

A spider web in Lake Tawakoni State Park in Texas, USA, covered 180 sq m (1,940 sq ft) of trees and bushes. What was once a white web web soon turned dark when hundreds of mosquitoes got caught in it.