The ABCs of the
Animal Kingdom
A journey through the animal
habitats around the world.
Written by: Ashley Smith
Click here for cool animal videos
A is for Antelope
• Antelope are desert
mammals that run
up to 60 miles per
hour. They live in
the grasslands of
Africa and Asia.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
B is for Beaver
• Beavers live in the wetlands of North
America and Europe. They live in homes
built with sticks and mud.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
C is for Camel
Picture from www.pebblego.com
• Camels live in in
the desert. They
have one or two
large humps on
their backs. Even
though they live
in the desert, they
rarely sweat and
can go for weeks
without food.
D is for Dolphin
• Dolphins live in every ocean in the
world. They use blowholes to breathe.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
E is for Elephant
• Elephants can
be found in the
flat, grassy
areas of Africa.
They have
large tusks that
are used for
digging and
fighting off
enemies.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
F is for Ferret
Picture from www.pebblego.com
• Ferrets are
pets that live
in a cage.
They have
dark fur
around their
faces that
look like a
mask.
G is for Giraffe
• Giraffes have long
necks to help them eat
leaves from the tops
of trees. They can
run 30 miles per hour.
Pictures from
www.pebblego.com
H is for Hyena
• Hyenas live in the savannas of Africa.
When hyenas are in danger, they make a
laughing sound to scare away their
predators.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
I is for Iguana
• Iguanas are reptiles that live in the
desert. They have long tails and very
sharp teeth.
Pictures from www.pebblego.com
J is for Jackrabbit
• Jackrabbits
are desert
animals.
Even though
they look
like rabbits,
they really
aren’t.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
K is for Kangaroo
• Kangaroos have
long feet and
strong back legs.
They can hop 30
miles per hour.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
L is for Lion
• Lions are large wildcats that live in
Africa and Asia. Lions rest between 18
and 20 hours each day.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
M is for Moose
• Moose are the largest members of the
deer family. They are found in wetlands,
woodlands, and grasslands.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
N is for Newt
• Newts are
amphibians that
are about 5
inches long.
They have tails
for swimming
and legs for
walking.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
O is for Orangutan
• Orangutans are apes that live in the
canopy of the rain forest. They sleep in
nests high in the trees.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
P is for Porcupine
• Porcupines live in
forests, deserts,
and grasslands all
over the world.
They have sharp
quills on their backs
to protect them from
their enemies.
Pictures from www.pebblego.com
Q is for Quail
• Quail live in woodland habitats. They
are small birds and lay brightly colored
eggs.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
R is for Rhinoceros
• Rhinoceroses
are very large
mammals who
live in the
grasslands.
They have one
or two horns
on their noses
and thick gray
skin.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
S is for Sloth
• Sloths are the world’s slowest animal.
They sleep 15-20 hours per day.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
T is for Tapir
• Tapirs have snouts that look like short
elephant trunks. They use their coloring
to hide from predators.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
U is for Umbrellabird
• Umbrellabirds
live in the
canopy of the
rain forest.
They have a
large crest on
the top of their
head.
Pictures from http://a-z-animals.com
V is for Vulture
Picture from www.pebblego.com
• Vultures are
large birds
that live all
over the
world. They
have hooked
bills that help
them tear
apart dead
animals.
W is for Wolverine
• Wolverines are polar mammals that live
alone in the wild. They are covered in
thick brown fur with white patches on
their face or chest.
Pictures from www.pebblego.com
X is for Musk OXen
• Musk oxen are polar mammals with long,
shaggy hair. Male and female musk oxen
have sharp pointed horns on their heads.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
Y is for Yak
• Yaks live in the mountains of Asia. They
have long hair to keep them warm in the
frigid temperatures.
Pictures from http://a-z-animals.com
Z is for Zebra
• Zebras look like horses with stripes.
They live in large herds in Africa.
Picture from www.pebblego.com
About the Author
• Ashley Smith is a first grade
teacher at Donna Lee
Loflin Elementary. She has
been teaching for 11
years. She attended
Southern Wesleyan
University and is currently
studying for her Masters in
Literacy at High Point
University. She lives in
Asheboro, North Carolina
with her husband and six
year old twins.
Resources
• www.pebblego.com
• www.a-z-animals.com
• Amazing Animals Video. Retrieved on Dec. 7, 2014 from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg8qvwDUosQ&list=PLEx
7daQbh2xnEQ8pqlAGc4y19jahgWJWV.