Jesse Elop
Author for A-Z Animals

Many people might jump if they hear a hiss and a rattle or see something slither by their feet. While snakes can be very intimidating animals, they are very interesting.… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

If you saw an aurochs and a modern cow side-by-side, would you be able to tell them apart? If you drive through farmland and pastures, is it possible you might… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Birds are incredibly diverse and can be found all around the world; they inhabit every continent and are arguably one of the most species rich vertebrate animal groups. From an… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

If you are an avid farmer or gardener, you may have come across or heard about aphids. Aphids are small pests that infest crops, gardens, and other flora worldwide and… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Have you ever seen a gorilla make a teeth-baring facial expression and thought, “Wow! Those are some big teeth!”? As the world's largest primate, gorillas are famous in the animal… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Gorillas are beautiful and unique creatures. They are also incredibly large! Within this colossal animal is a very interesting and complex skull that seems to be very different from a… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Although most people could probably tell a gorilla hand and a human hand apart, humans and gorillas are close relatives that share many similarities under their fur and skin. If… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

When you are at the gym, a 20-pound dumbbell can seem pretty heavy. Now imagine 25 of those wrapped in fur running around the African wild! Silverback gorillas are huge,… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Key Points: Wild male gorillas weigh between 300 and 500 pounds on average, and females weigh between 150 and 250 pounds. When male gorillas reach a certain level of maturity,… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Grizzly bears are an example of a keystone species. All animals and plants are important to their environment, but are some more important than others? Every ecosystem consists of complex… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Geckos are a very interesting group of lizards that are incredibly diverse. They are widespread in the wild and are also common household pets. Although a pet gecko can seem… Read More

By Jesse Elop 2 years ago

Key Points: Gorillas are apes along with chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, gibbons, and humans. The largest gorilla subspecies is the eastern lowland gorilla - which typically weighs between 361 and 461… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points: Grizzly bears are omnivores, eating both plants and animals. Since only 30% of their diet is meat, they are classified as hypocarnivores. Polar bears are hypercarnivores because their… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Ever wonder what inspired King Kong? Despite its gorilla-like appearance, inspiration for the fictional beast came from Komodo dragons studied on a 1926 expedition to Komodo Island. Komodo dragons are… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Researchers say lobster intelligence rivals that of octopuses, long considered the smartest invertebrate. Think of a fancy, white tablecloth, candlelit dinner. Is there a lobster on the table? Lobsters are… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Have you ever had a tiny animal buzz by your head, tickle the back of your neck, or crawl out of your shoe? Well, it may have been one of… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

The largest wild American bison ever recorded was a bull weighing 2,800 pounds. In North America, bigger is usually better. Both Canada and the United States are amongst the 10… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

In the animal kingdom, reptiles have always been especially interesting. Clever behaviors, fascinating adaptations, and vibrant colors all make this class of animals incredibly unique. Reptiles come in a broad… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points: Coyotes are a canid related to wolves and domestic dogs. Coyotes tend to inhabit places where they will not be in direct competition with wolves and cougars including… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

How long can you stay in bed? The average person sleeps for 9 hours a day, the average dog sleeps 11 hours a day, and the average cat sleeps for… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

When people first think of mammals, they often think of elephants, monkeys, bears, and other land-dwelling animals. There are, however, many species of marine mammals as well. The class Mammalia… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Can you outrun a sloth? Probably. Can you outrun a cheetah? Probably not. Can you outrun a bear? That is a little trickier to answer. Most species of bears are… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

In 1789 the first recorded use of the phrase “a dog is a man’s best friend” came from King Frederick of Prussia, likely referencing his beloved Italian greyhound. Ever since,… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Insects compose around 90% of all animal species! There are about 6 million species of insects alive today! These various species exist throughout every continent including Antarctica. Many animals and… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points: There are five main differences between apes and monkeys - the most visible being that monkeys have tails while apes do not.Apes are much more intelligent than monkeys… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

With terminology like “ape”, “great ape”, “monkey”, “primate”, and “gorilla” all meaning distinctly different things, it is hard to keep track of what’s what. In this article we'll examine the… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points: Modern-day humans and neanderthals are of the same genus, but are completely separate species. Evidence suggests that neanderthals did not evolve into humans, but both species evolved from… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Monkeys come in all shapes and sizes and exist around the world. Most monkeys live in Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America. While many hang from branches and leap… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points: The largest species of bear, polar bears, generally weigh twice or even over five times as much as the Floridian black bear, which weighs about 300 pounds. These… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

A male lion, with its formidable size and flowing mane, is a majestic animal rightfully known as king of the jungle. Female lions are similarly ferocious and are amongst the… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points There are about 300 recognized species of squid. The colossal squid is the largest squid in the world and can weigh up to 1500 pounds. Many squid use… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

Key Points There are over 24,000 species of butterflies. Butterflies are not just beautiful, they are also very important pollinators. The world’s largest butterfly is the Queen Alexandra’s birdwing and… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago

With tentacles that reach up to 120 feet in length, the lion's mane jellyfish is easily the largest in the world. Jellyfish are incredibly unique creatures that have been the… Read More

By Jesse Elop 3 years ago