Under natural conditions, elephants eat mostly grass, tree leaves, flowers, wild fruits, twigs, shrubs, bamboo, and bananas. Their main food is grass when it's available, along with some leaves. They spend about 80% of their day (16-18 hours per day) eating.

Some elephants can even be found eating mud out of the bottom of ponds. They do this because the clay at the bottom is rich in ...

Giraffes eat mainly leaves. They are a group of animals known as browsers. They do not live in a specific territory, but browse the savannas looking for food.

Giraffes have the physical adaptation of a long neck (about 6 feet in length) that allow them to reach the leaves at the tops of trees. This allows them to feed when necessary and not have to compete with other animals for the ...

Koalas primarily eat leaves from the eucalyptus tree. They eat between 200 and 500 grams per day. Eucalyptus leaves (also known as gum leaves) are very difficult for the koala to digest. They are extremely fibrous and low in nutrition. To adapt to this, koalas sleep for up to 22 hours per day. This allows them to conserve their energy for when they are awake and eating.

Koalas are ...

Omnivores are animals that eat both meat and plants. Some omnivores, like bears, hunt and forage for their food. Other omnivores are scavengers and eat dead matter left over from other predators. Many omnivores eat the eggs from other animals.

Omnivorous animals are believed to be this way out of need for survival. Being omnivorous opens up more opportunity to find food (they can eat ...

Frogs are amphibians that are known for their great jumping abilities. They are one of the very few amphibians that can jump. Frogs have large, muscular back legs that allow them to jump great distances. However, it’s not just the amount of muscle that allows them to jump so far.

Before the frog makes its leap, the muscle shortens, transferring energy into the tendons. When it ...

Frogs go through a complete metamorphosis, which has four stages: egg, tadpole, froglet, and frog. During these stages, the frog goes from living in the water to living on the land.

Frogs start as eggs that float on the surface of the water. These clusters of eggs are called “egg masses”. A frog can lay up to 4,000 eggs at one time.

The next stage is the ...

Frogs get most of their water by absorbing it through their skin. They also rely on getting oxygen (in addition to what they breathe in the air) from the water, through their skin.

A frog’s skin is its most important organ. Sometimes frogs seem to be slimy. This is a mucus that they secrete to keep their skin moist and healthy. Even with slimy skin, you’ll always find ...

Fish sleep in the water. They sleep with their eyes open because they do not have any eyelids (some sharks do, but fish do not). The amount of time a fish sleeps varies depending on the type of fish.

Every species offish is different in the way it sleeps. Some sleep while still swimming (which makes it difficult to identify when they are awake and when they are asleep). Other species ...

Alpacas have been domesticated for about 6,000 years. The Moche people of Peru have been using alpacas in their art for thousands of years. There are no known wild alpacas; all breeds are domesticated.

Alpacas are too small to be used as pack animals (like their relatives, the llama and camel). They are primarily bred for their soft fiber (fur) and their meat. The Andean inhabitants ...

Alpacas have a life expectancy of about 20 years. Females reach breeding age at about 18-24 months old. Males are not potent (ready to breed) until they're at least 24 months old. When in good health, females will breed their entire lives (with a break every few years for recovery). When born, alpacas weight about 15-18 pounds. They are nursed from their mothers until they are about 6 months ...