Cindy Rasmussen
Author for A-Z Animals

Can you imagine an enormous blue whale covered in long flowing gray hair? That seems to be a stretch of the imagination! When we think of whales or dolphins we… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

In the spring of 2021 a video of a thousand dolphins swimming together was filmed off the coast of California. A group of whale watchers were entertained for hours while… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Key Points: Sperm whales were named for the huge oil-filled spermaceti organ that takes up 40% of its body. The spermaceti oil that fills the organ is white and resembles… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

The lifespan of whales varies by species, with the bowhead whale having the longest lifespan. Whales can be difficult to study due to the fact that many species live deep… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

If there were Sea Animal Olympics there would be several species that would swim in the final heat. Whales are some of the largest sea animals but are they also… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Blue whales are some of the most magnificent creatures on the earth. Their massive size is hard to comprehend with whales growing to be up to a 100 feet long.… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Flies typically have a lifespan of 15 to 25 days. It may seem that flies live all summer long, pestering humans in their homes, on their patios, and during a… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Monkeys are primates, like apes, gorillas, chimpanzees, and humans! Do monkeys live as long as humans? Are monkeys the same as apes and gorillas? Since primates have few predators do… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

The octopus makes the Top 10 Smartest Animals list, so if you compare its lifespan to the others on the list you might think it would be similar. The orangutan… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

When we named elephants we gave a big clue as to where they live. The African elephant lives…in Africa. The Asian elephant? Yes, in Asia. But where in Africa and… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

You’ve probably seen the image of a cute cartoon elephant with his trunk stuck in a popcorn box full of peanuts! But if elephants were allowed at the movies would… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

The elephant is the largest land animal on the planet. There are three kinds of elephants with scientist recently splitting the African elephant into two distinct species. The three elephant… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 2 years ago

Beavers are herbivores that eat tree bark, leaves, and aquatic plants Do beavers really eat wood? These brown furry rodents with large teeth and a flat tail can often be… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Crabs look like sand dollars with legs! There are more than 4,500 species of crabs that come in a variety of sizes. The most common crabs are about the size… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Key Points Ladybugs generally choose to eat aphids and other plant-eating bugs. Most types of ladybugs are omnivorous, meaning they will also feed on other soft-bodied insects like mealybugs, as… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Do moths really eat sweaters? You may have pulled out a sweater from the back of your closet and found holes nibbled in it. Do you blame it on the… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

If you were asked to name a spooky animal, bats would likely be near the top of the list! But what makes bats so spooky? Is it because they come… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

If I had just settled in to watch a movie in my living room and a squirrel scooted out from under the drapes and ran across the floor I would… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

“Don’t be a big baby!” Sounds like an insult, but in the case of baby elephants, it can actually be a compliment.The average (human) baby boy born in America weighs… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Elephant babies are BIG babies! The average elephant baby is 200lbs at birth. That is about the same size as a grown man. The babies are born after a long… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Baseball players may have superstitions about shaving based on batting averages and winning streaks. Some players have even been known to shave off their ‘stache mid-game for good luck! But… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

You’ve probably heard the term “Breeding like rabbits!” Well, that does not apply to elephants, at all. So, how long are elephants pregnant? Elephants have the longest pregnancies of all… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

The International Union of Conservation of Nature is a group that is working to conserve nature and use natural resources wisely. They maintain a comprehensive list of animals that are… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Monitor lizards are large, scaly lizards with long snake-like tongues. They can grow to be as long as 10 feet long and have large claws and a powerful tail. The… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Badgers are feisty mammals that live from Canada to Mexico in the Great Plains area. Some species like the European badger, Asian badger and Japanese badger can be found in… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Wolverines look like small bears. They have similar large claws and sharp teeth, but they are much smaller than bears, more like the size of a medium dog. They prefer… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Chucklehead, Shovelhead, Poliwog! Is someone throwing insults? Not really, they are probably referring to the biggest catfish they ever caught that just barely got away. Catfish go by many names… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Cuttlefish look like a mix between an octopus and a squid. They are smaller than an octopus but have eight tentacles like an octopus. They can also change color and… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Monitor lizards are primarily carnivorous and eat carrion, eggs, snakes, birds, and mammals ranging from rodents to deer Monitor lizards are a group of large lizards that are mainly found… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Wolverines are primarily carnivores that eat insects, deer, and rabbits, but will also eat berries and roots Wolverines are mammals that live in colder regions. They look somewhat like a… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Cuttlefish eat mostly crustaceans, shellfish, shrimp, and marine worms! “Cuttlefish”, sounds like a cute little fish with big cartoon eyes, right? Not the case. The cuttlefish is actually more like… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Catfish will scavenge for food and eat just about anything! Catfish are fish characterized by long barbels coming out from the sides of their face, looking like cat whiskers. There… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Badgers are omnivores that eat a diet that ranges from fruits and legumes to rodents, insects, and lizards Badgers are medium sized mammals that have a head that looks like… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago

Sky blue, ocean blue, blueberries, my eyes! Despite seeing blue all around us, blue is actually the least common color in nature. Many of the things we see to be… Read More

By Cindy Rasmussen 3 years ago