Whales are the largest mammals on the planet roaming throughout all of the world's oceans, communicating with complex and mysterious sounds. They are social, air breathing mammals that feed their babies with their own milk, and they take extraordinarily good care of their young and teach them life skills. Whales invoke a sense of wonder and a feeling of kinship. Whales enrich the lives of people who come into contact with them since they are unique, beautiful, graceful, and mysterious. There is something almost other-worldly about them. They nurture, bond, play, sing, and cooperate well with one another.

The puffin is a short and stocky diving sea bird about 12 inches in length with a wingspan of 20-24 inches. It is black on its upper sides and white on its chest and belly. It has bright orange webbed feet; a white face and cheeks; and a large, triangular parrot-like bill that is bright red and yellow. Puffins are great swimmers and fast flyers. They spend most of their life out at sea, resting on the waves, coming ashore only to breed. They select precipitous, rocky cliff tops to build their nests, which they line with feathers or grass.

Llamas are graceful, gentle, shy, and curious. They are also very social, intelligent, and easily trained. Llamas are calm which make them easy for anyone, even children, to handle. Llamas are grass eaters and they need the companionship of their own kind. They have an exaggerated territorial nature and are known to spit at each other in self-defense. Though they have a strong social presence with herd mates, their individual demeanor is detached and aloof. They do not like physical touching among themselves.

Common bottlenose dolphins and other dolphins are thought to be some of the smartest animals on the planet. Dolphins have smooth, rubbery skin and are usually colored in some mixture of black, white, and gray. They have two flippers, or fins, on their sides, as well as a triangular fin on the back. They have an insulating layer of blubber beneath the skin. They are extremely curious and often approach people to investigate. They have well-developed hearing which is adapted for both air and water.

Chipmunks are solitary animals that are very lively and fast. They have large, glossy eyes and characteristic bushy tails which have made them a favorite character with animators. Chipmunks have small but prominent ears which face forwards, small eyes set on the sides of their heads, and a pointed muzzle. Chipmunks are basically pygmy squirrels adapted to exploiting the resources of rocky terrain and forest understories. They scamper along the ground but are also expert climbers. The chipmunks’ call is a shrill chirring or chipping.

Frogs are amphibians that are known for their jumping abilities, croaking sounds, bulging eyes and slimy skin. They live all over the world and are among the most diverse animals in the world, with more than 6,000 species. Frogs have very good eyesight as their eyes bulge out the sides of their heads in order for the frog to see in nearly all directions. Frogs also have amazing sense of hearing. They also possess smooth, moist skins. Many are predominantly aquatic, but some live on land, in burrows, or in trees.

Ducks are an aquatic bird found throughout the world on every continent except Antarctica. They can be found in a range of both freshwater and saltwater habitats, including marshes, rivers, and oceans. They are highly intelligent and emotional creatures that can understand commands, play with toys, play games, give kisses, and beg for food. If handled frequently and gently from an early age, ducks will become quite sociable with people. Ducks have wide, strongly webbed feet that help them be powerful, efficient swimmers and in many cases, agile divers.

Antelopes are deer-like herbivores that vary enormously in size, depending on the species. They have long legs, a slender neck, and large ears. A universal feature of male antelopes is a pair of permanent horns used to fend off predators and establish dominance among members of the same species. Antelopes come in multiple shades of brown and gray ranging from beige to black with light and dark markings on the face and the body for camouflaging. Antelopes have adapted to many different ecological niches and so vary in their size, shape, locomotion, diet, social organization, and antipredator strategy.

The tiger, the largest of all cats, is a symbol of strength and poise. Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with a lighter underside. They are territorial and solitary in nature. They maintain control over their territories by continuously patrolling them. Their social system is connected through visual signals, scent marks and vocalizations. Tigers have hair all over their body to insulate, protect and camouflage themselves in their habitat. A tiger is solitary in nature, marking out its territory and defending it from other tigers.

Characteristics typical of deer include long, powerful legs, a diminutive tail, and long ears. Most deer are active throughout the day, though their most active times are during sunrise and dusk. They spend their days foraging for food eating only vegetation. Deer can jump up to 10 ft. high and are very good swimmers. As deer eyes are on the side of their head, they have 310 degrees’ vision. Deer also have very good night vision which is particularly useful at dawn and dusk when they are most active. Deer are very social and travel in groups called herds.

Oxen are large and incredible creatures that survive in the brutal conditions of the arctic tundra. Musk ox are herbivores—eating grass, willows, seeds and berries. In order to find food in the winters, musk oxen will dig into the snow with their hooves and noses. The ox finds nutrients easily during the summer months when they can enjoy tasty grasses and seasonal wild flowers. Oxen herd together.

Wolves are natural-born predators and are well-equipped to take down prey. They have keen senses, large canine teeth, powerful jaws and the ability to run at 37 miles per hour. Wolves are complex, highly intelligent animals who are caring, playful, and above all devoted to family. A wolf pack is an exceedingly complex social unit—an extended family of parents, offspring, siblings, aunts, uncles, and sometimes dispersers from other packs. There are old wolves that need to be cared for, pups that need to be educated, and young adults that are beginning to assert themselves – all altering the dynamics of the pack.

The crow occupies a prominent place in ancient traditions, folklore, and mysticism worldwide. They are honest, loyal, straightforward, and very intelligent. The crow is a messenger for everything and everybody. The crow understands the deep mysteries of life and knows how to decipher what is going . They are very watchful and will defend their friends to the utmost. The crow has magical abilities and knows what is about to happen. Their “caw, caw, caw” is loud because they want everyone to what is coming. Whether people want to hear it or not, they are not afraid to speak the truth. Usually, it is a warning that something good or bad is coming soon.

The bees that pollinate plants are responsible for bringing us much of the food we eat. They also sustain our ecosystems and produce natural resources by helping plants reproduce. Pollinating bees travel from plant to plant carrying pollen on their bodies in a vital interaction that allows the transfer of genetic material critical to the reproductive system of most flowering plants. Somewhere between 75% and 95% of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination. In fact, bees pollinate approximately one-third of the food we eat. Throughout history, the work ethic of the bee has been admired.

Penguins are aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere and are highly adapted to life in the water. They come back to the land for breeding in dense colonies, lay one or two eggs, and take several months to raise their chicks. Most penguins feed on krill, fish, and squid, caught while swimming underwater. Penguins can dive at incredible depth and are extremely sensitive to climate change. Many species of penguin spend most of their lives with large groups of other penguins. They do everything together: eating, swimming, hunting, and nesting.

Imagine being able to turn your head a full 270 degrees. For years, this range of motion and other unique physical characteristics of owls have allowed them to survive and even thrive in the wild. Owls have adapted to nearly every ecosystem on the planet. They are specialized predators, having eyes and ears that are designed for hunting and unique feathers that enable them to fly almost silently. Owls hunt throughout the night in deserted places such as cemeteries, run-down farms, and other open areas. The diet of many owls consists mainly of rodents and other small animals.

Cranes are the tallest and arguably the most elegant of all flying birds. More closely related to rails and bustards than herons, ibises and storks, they are known best for their unwavering faithfulness to mates, spectacular courtship displays, large size, long migrations, and loud calls. Cranes have a wide range of behaviors depending on their purpose. They migrate between 1,000 and 3,000 miles a year. Cranes can sustain speeds of 30 mph by flying by flapping wings, yet they prefer to save energy by rising in thermals and being carried by winds.

The song of the meadowlark bird is of pure, melancholy whistles. Western meadowlarks seldom sing more than 12 songs while their eastern counterparts have a larger repertoire of over 50 song variations. In the field, the song is often the easiest way to tell the two species apart, though plumage differences do exist. The meadowlark usually sings facing the sun, as if his own warm color is drawn magnetically toward its source. They live in open grasslands, meadows, pastures, fields, and the edges of marshes.

Elephants captivate our hearts and imaginations. Despite their long history alongside humans, we have only recently begun to truly understand and explore the internal workings of these beautiful creatures. They astound us with their size and strength, such a contrast with their gentle nature and delicate touch. The memory of elephants is legendary, and for good reason. Elephants remember other elephants and individual humans for years — even decades —after they last saw them.

Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges. Their colonies create one or more dams to provide still, deep water to protect against predators and to float food and building material. The beaver population decline is the result of extensive hunting for fur, for glands used as medicine and perfume, and because the beavers' harvesting of trees and flooding of waterways may interfere with other land uses. Beavers have webbed hind-feet, and broad, scaly tails. Beavers do not have good eyesight, but they possess good senses of smell, hearing, and touch.