all about animals

A puppy is a baby dog or wolf. Dogs are generally called puppies until they are a year old. When a mother dog has puppies, there are usually about six of them born at once.

A piglet is a baby pig.

A lamb is a baby sheep.

A kitten is a baby cat.

A baby goat is called a kid.

A joey is a baby kangaroo.

A baby goose is called a gosling.

A baby donkey is called a foal.

A foal is a baby horse.

A fawn is a baby deer.

A duckling is a baby duck.

A cygnet is a baby swan.

A baby llama is called a cria.

Most baby birds are called chicks. The chicks in the picture are wren chicks.

A baby dolphin is called a calf.

A calf is a baby cow.

Thoroughbreds are kind of horse that are bred for speed. They are used mainly as racehorses, but are also used for other kinds of riding.

Horses have been used by people for thousands of years. People ride them and use them to pull carts and ploughs. Horses were the most common way of travelling before cars were invented.

Horses come in a variety of sizes, from ponies that children ride up to big cart horses that are used to pull very heavy loads. A female horse is called a mare and a baby horse is called a foal.

Shetland ponies are a breed of pony from the Shetland Isles, north of Scotland. They are strong, intelligent and hardy, and were used for pulling carts and ploughing fields. Today they are mostly used as children's pets. They can live for around 30 years.

The American Quarterhorse is a breed of horse that is very fast over very short distances, hence the name - coming from a quarter mile race. They are also used at rodeos and as working horses

A pinto horse is a white horse with patches of another colour, usually black or brown.

Percherons are a large breed of horse designed for pulling heavy loads. They are originally from France.

A palomino horse is one with a gold coat and a white mane and tail.

Mustangs are feral horses found roaming wild in North America.

A mare is a female horse. Horses have been used by people for thousands of years. People ride them and use them to pull carts and ploughs. Horses were the most common way of travelling before cars were invented.

Horses come in a variety of sizes, from ponies that children ride up to big cart horses that are used to pull very heavy loads. A male horse is called a stallion and a baby horse is called a foal.

Lipizzaners, or Lipizzans, are a breed of white horse that is today used and bred at the Spanish Riding School in Vienna as a performing horse. Lipizzaners are trained over many years to perform complicated moves.

A foal is a baby horse.

A dapple grey horse has white spots surrounded by dark hair, making an attractive pattern. Young horses that are dapple grey often slowly turn white.

Clydesdales are draft horses from the Clydesdale region of Scotland. They are large, strong, attractive horses that today are used primarily by beer companies to pull carts full of barrels, or pulling wagons at fairs and parades.

A chestnut horse is a reddish-brown colour, with a mane and tail the same colour or lighter than the rest of the horse.

A buckskin horse is a cream, gold or tan horse with a dark mane, tail and legs. Buckskin horses can be found in virtually all breeds of horse.

Brumbies are wild, feral horses in Australia. They are descended from escaped or dumped horses. They cause a lot of damage to the native environment. Every so often they are rounded up and captured or culled, and can be trained as show ponies or other domestic uses.

A bay horse is a reddish brown, with a black mane, tail and lower legs. Bay horses may have white markings on their face or feet.

Arabian horses are an ancient breed from the desert of the Middle East. They are fairly small horses with a distinctive shape and carriage. Arabians are elegant, gentle and affectionate.

An appaloosa is a breed of horse with a distinctive spotty coat. Appaloosas are usually used as a stock horse.

Turtles can be found in the sea, in lakes and in rivers. Turtles that live on land are called tortoises. Tortoises usually eat plants, and turtles eat either plants or fish and other water creatures.

Some kinds of turtle can grow up to two metres long, although most are smaller. Turtles have a hard shell covering their body, and they can hide their head and legs inside it. They can live for over 100 years. The ancestors of turtles and tortoises have been around since before the dinosaurs. Some kinds of small turtles can be kept as pets.

Snakes are a type of legless lizard. They come in many colours and patterns, and some kinds of snake can grow to be several metres long.

Snakes jaws do not lock open like ours do, but can open a huge way. They can swallow small animals that are much bigger than their heads. Snakes only need to eat every few days. Some snakes are very poisonous and can kill a person in one bite. Other snakes kill their prey by wrapping themselves around it and suffocating it. You should always be careful around snakes.

Some kinds of non-poisonous snake are sold as pets, but often a special license is needed and pet snakes should still be treated with care as they might eat other household pets and have been known to kill very small children.

Rats are large mice. They often live near people, scavenging food scraps in rubbish tips or stored food in houses. Rats are pests and most people try and get rid of rats if they can.

Rats can also kept as pets. Pet rats tend to be white or multicoloured, and wild rats tend to be plain brown or grey.

The rabbit is a small animal found in many parts of the world. In Australia, rabbits are the single worst introduced pest. Rabbits make good pets, if they are properly looked after.

The plural of mouse is mice. Mice are very small animals that are often found in houses. They are a pest, and eat stored food. Cats, snakes and many other animals eat mice. Some people keep mice as pets.

The iguana is a kind of medium-sized lizard from South America. They are a popular pet.

Hermit crabs are not actually true crabs, but are distantly related. Hermit crabs don't have a shell of their own, so they need to find the discarded shell from another creature to wear. As they grow, they have to find another shell to replace their old one.

Hermit crabs are found all over the world, and many people keep them as pets.

Hamsters are a small rodent that is often kept as a pet. Hamsters are originally from Syria. They have a large fur-lined pouch on either side of their face that goes all the way to their shoulders that they can fill with food. In the wild, they usually eat seeds and nuts.

Guinea pigs, also called the cavy, are a small rodent originally from South America. They were first domesticated as a food source, but today guinea pigs are kept as pets. They have a quiet nature and don't mind being handled.

Goldfish are a kind of freshwater fish that was bred to be a pet. There is no such thing as a wild goldfish. Goldfish were descended from a kind of carp, and they were specially picked for their yellow and orange color.

Goldfish are the most popular pet fish, and are very commonly found in ponds in people's yards and in fish tanks in people's houses.

Frogs can be found around fresh water, including in deserts when it only rains every few years. They can breathe through their skin when they are in water. Frogs lay eggs, which hatch into tadpoles. Frogs come in a great variety of colours and can range in size from as small as a fingernail up to about 30cm long. Frogs that are very warty are often called toads.

Ferrets are domestic animals, usually kept as pets. They are related to the polecat and weasel. Ferrets eat small pest animals like rats and rabbits.

People have been keeping dogs as pets for thousands of years. Dogs can be used to herd animals like sheep, and if they are well trained they will obey commands like sit and fetch.

Dogs come in a huge variety of different colours and sizes, from tiny Chihuahuas right up to huge dogs like the Great Dane. A baby dog is called a puppy. Modern dogs evolved from wolves, and were originally kept as hunting companions.

A cat is a small, meat-eating animal that is often kept as a pet. Cats are good at hunting mice. Most dogs don't like cats, and are often seen chasing them up trees. Cats spend over half of their time asleep. A baby cat is called a kitten.

Canaries are small songbirds closely related to finches. They eat seeds and have a pretty song. Most canaries are yellow. Wild canaries are more mottled or yellow-green than pet canaries.

A budgerigar, or budgie for short, is a very small parrot that many people keep as pets. They are very friendly, and like most parrots they can be taught to talk. Budgerigars are originally from central Australia, and were once only green and yellow. All the other colors have been created by people breeding them.