Cindy Rasmussen
Author for A-Z Animals

Great Danes are one of the largest dog breeds along with the English Mastiff, Spanish Mastiff and Saint Bernard. They are both tall and heavy, with the average male Great Dane growing to be 30-32 inches (from their paws to their withers, the point between their shoulder blades) and weighing between 140-175lbs. By comparison, the […] Read More

If you have tuna melts on your dinner menu you are probably going to crack open a delicious can of tuna. These little cans are typically 12oz of tuna, but did you know that tuna are actually enormous fish? The tuna you may be eating for your sandwich comes from skipjack, yellowfin or albacore tuna. […] Read More

Bearded dragons originate from Australia, living in desert and savannah areas. They are named bearded dragons because of the spikey beard that they have and have become a popular pet since the 1990’s. Your average bearded dragon can grow from a 3-inch baby to an 18-22 inch full-grown adult (that is almost 2 feet long!). […] Read More

When you use the term “largest elk” it depends if you are measuring its weight or the size of its rack. Avid hunters are more concerned with the size of the elk’s rack (antlers) and have developed a precise system for scoring the width, number of points and overall size of an elk’s antlers. If […] Read More

Wolf spiders definitely have an intimidating name, but are they really the size of wolves? Certainly not. They originally got their name because they are active hunters, like wolves, vs passive spiders that spin a web and wait to catch their prey. Wolf spiders are fast and can unexpectedly chase their prey down and jump […] Read More

When you hear “king crab” you may be envisioning a large plate with succulent crab legs and a side of coleslaw. Did you know you could be eating a 25-year-old crab? King crabs that are used in the seafood industry come mostly from the red king crab which has a lifespan of 20-30 years. To […] Read More

Monitor lizards are a group of lizards that belong to the Varanidae family and are considered the largest lizards. They look similar to crocodiles with long bodies and scaly skin, but they are much heavier than crocodiles and have thicker legs and a stronger tail. Monitor lizards live on land and can move quickly despite […] Read More

Remember the story about the tortoise and the hare? “Slow and steady wins the race.” Tortoises have a reputation of being slow, but they also have a reputation of being big. Perhaps you’ve been to your local zoo and had pictures taken on top of a life-sized bronze tortoise sculpture. These gentle giants are fascinating […] Read More

Of the three kinds of bears, black bear, brown bear and polar bear, which ones do you think are the largest? If you thought it was the brown bear you would be incorrect, but close. Polar bears are actually the largest species of bear with the brown bears coming in second. Of the two most […] Read More

Instead of watching cat videos, if you have some downtime, you should watch a slow-mo video of a gecko licking its eyeball. Fascinating! Geckos do not have eyelids, but need to keep their eyeballs moist and clean, so a quick lick from their tongue does the trick. Most fish do not have eyelids because they […] Read More

What goes in has to come out…somehow. So, do sharks poop? They sure do! Every living animal that consumes food has to have a way of getting rid of waste. Sharks are no different. Researchers love poop because it holds clues to what sharks eat, where they may be from and even stress levels. Sharks […] Read More

The three fastest fish on the planet are the sailfish, black marlin, and swordfish. These fish can reach speeds between 60-70mph! They have an aerodynamic shape and large dorsal fin that expands like a sailboat creating optimal conditions for speed. As young they have scales, but adult swordfish do not have scales. Next fastest are […] Read More

Sharks are known to be aggressive and scary, so what on earth would be crazy enough to take on a shark? Well, first there is the unfair advantage that humans have with our advanced weapons and tracking technologies, secondly a clever pack of killer whales is no match for a lone shark, and lastly sharks […] Read More

You probably won’t find an article about the 10 Scariest Bunnies, because one look at a bunny and you almost automatically say, “Ah, cute!” But as soon as you hear the word shark, you may immediately think of Jaws or The Meg. Hollywood has made movies of these amazing creatures because one look at a […] Read More

You have probably seen a picture of a smiling dolphin with a mouth full of pearly white teeth. Dolphins are whales but not all whales have teeth. When it comes to whales, teeth are what set them apart. The two groups of the order Cetacea (Whales) are the baleen whales and the toothed whales. If […] Read More

If you ask a Kindergarten class where do fish live they may shout, “In water!” Fish can live in lakes, rivers, the ocean and even in a little bowl on your kitchen table. Whales live in water just like fish, but are whales fish? Let’s take a look at the similarities and difference of whales […] Read More

Shepherd dogs are known by several names; sheepdogs, cattle dogs and herding dogs. The American Kennel Club used to include all herding dogs in the Working Dog group, but in 1983 they created a new group because they found these dogs, “share an instinctual ability to control the movement of other animals.” That is what […] Read More

Humpback whales have a reputation for singing elaborate love songs during mating season. Both males and females can makes sounds but only the males create long songs that can last a few minutes to more than a half-hour. Scientists that have studied the songs have found that they change each season, almost like the whales […] Read More

When it comes to our pets we want them to stay around as long as possible. So when you are choosing a dog, how do you know how long your favorite dog is expected to live? Is it based on breed, size, and gender? If you want a lifelong pet maybe the dog is not […] Read More

Whales are the biggest animal on the planet, dolphins are comparably smaller, but are they all one “big” happy family? They all belong to the Order Cetacea which is the group of sea mammals that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. To be a part of the Cetacea Order you must have the following characteristics: completely […] Read More

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 think of smooth, hairless skin that makes it easy for these marine animals to glide through the ocean. Yet, mammals are animals that have hair […] Read More

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 this group of dolphins frolicked in the ocean waters. A group this size is larger than normally seen but not that rare.  Dolphins generally live […] Read More

You may think that the sperm whale got its name from the shape of its body or some mating habit, but the truth is sperm whales are named for something entirely different. The name “sperm whale” comes from the substance found in an organ in the whale’s head that is full of spermaceti oil. This […] Read More

Whales can be difficult to study due to the fact that many species live deep in the ocean, hundreds of feet below the surface. Sperm whales spend much of their time diving deep in search of food. They can reach depths of 3,000 or more feet, that is a little more than a half-mile. So […] Read More

If you were playing the original Trivial Pursuit game, the answer to “How many types of elephants are there?” would be two. But in 2000, scientists were able to analyze the DNA of the elephants and discovered that the African elephant that lives on the savanna and the African elephant that lives in the rainforest […] Read More

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 the fastest? More importantly, just how fast do whales swim? They wouldn’t get a Gold, Silver or Bronze but they might place in the top […] Read More

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. That is the length of three school buses parked end to end! Blue whales are the largest animal in the world and have few if […] Read More

It may seem that flies live all summer long, pestering humans in their homes, on their patios and during a lovely picnic lunch. But these insects have a shorter lifespan than you may think. Flies are any small, winged insects in the order Diptera that has over 120,000 species. The most common fly is the […] Read More

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 they mostly live out their lives and die of old age? Let’s find out about the lifespan of monkeys. Monkeys vs. Apes Are monkeys the […] Read More

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 lives 35-45 years, Bottlenose dolphins 25-29 years, and the elephant up to 70 years. So why is it that octopus have an average lifespan of […] Read More

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 Asia? What kind of habitat do these giant mammals have? Do all elephants live in the same kind of habitat? Let’s take a look at […] Read More

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 that be what they would really get? (I think it would be Whoppers!) Do elephants really eat peanuts and if not, why do we think […] Read More

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 species are African savanna (or bush), African forest and Asian elephant. Let’s take a look at all three to see how much these giant creatures […] Read More

Do beavers really eat wood? These brown furry rodents with large teeth and a flat tail can often be shown gnawing on a tree. So you would think that they eat wood, but they chew on trees for a different purpose. Let’s take a look at what beavers eat. How do beavers gather food? Timber! […] Read More

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 of your hand whereas the largest crab, the giant Japanese spider crab, has a body that is 15 inches across and legs that have a […] Read More

Ladybugs are small round red insects with black spots. They can be other colors, like orange, yellow and black, but the most familiar species is the seven-spotted ladybug which is red. Ladybugs are sometimes called ladybird beetles or lady beetles; they got their name from farmers who would pray to the Virgin Mary for protection […] Read More

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 moth? Yes, you could. Moths are like butterflies, they are small insects that have wings and come out mostly at night. The adult moths are […] Read More

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 out at night, have sharp fangs and big beady eyes? Yeah, that’s a start! But should we be afraid of bats? What about vampire bats? […] Read More

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 be startled! If that same squirrel scooted across the street in front of me when I was out walking my dog I probably wouldn’t blink. […] Read More

“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 7.5 lbs (boys typically weigh a little more than girls). Baby elephants are much larger. Let’s dive into how much baby elephants weigh. How Much […] Read More

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 gestation, the longest of all mammals, 18-22 months and can stand up within an hour of being born. They have to be able to stand […] Read More

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 besides increasing the chances the Yankees will win, why do humans have hair? Humans are the only mammal that has hair on their heads but […] Read More

You’ve probably heard the term “Breeding like rabbits!” Well, that does not apply to elephants, at all. Elephants have the longest pregnancies of all mammals. Rabbits can have a litter of babies after 25-28 days (about a month) whereas elephants are pregnant for around 680 days (22 months!). They also wait longer between pregnancies averaging […] Read More

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 endangered called the Red List of Threatened Species. They assess animals and plants to see where they land on the scale from “Least Concerned” to […] Read More

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 Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard is one species of monitor lizards, so is the more common Asian water monitor. Let’s take at 12 of […] Read More

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 those areas as well. Badger heads look like skunk heads with a white stripe while their bodies are larger than a skunk with greyish fur. […] Read More

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 living in snowy areas and can be found in North America and Northern Europe as well as areas in Russia. Since wolverines live in the […] Read More

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 and are located all over the world. They can be found in freshwater and saltwater and are very adaptable. The most common name of catfish […] Read More

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 pattern to match their surroundings! Let’s look at 10 cuttlefish facts that are downright impressive! 1. Cuttlefish are smart! They can learn to delay gratification! […] Read More