World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/garter-snake): Garter Snake — wildlife guide.

## Are garter snakes dangerous to humans?
No. Garter snakes are essentially harmless to people; they have only a very mild toxin in their saliva that helps them subdue small prey. A bite may cause minor irritation or swelling but is not medically dangerous.

## What do garter snakes eat?
They are carnivores that eat earthworms, slugs, amphibians such as frogs and toads, small fish, and occasionally rodents or nestlings. They hunt actively by day, tracking prey by sight and scent.

## How big do garter snakes get?
Most garter snakes are 0.5 to 1.3 m long (about 1.5 to 4.3 ft) and weigh around 150 g. They are slender snakes, so even the longest individuals stay lightweight.

## Do garter snakes lay eggs?
No, garter snakes give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. A single female can produce anywhere from a few to several dozen fully independent offspring in a litter.

## How long do garter snakes live?
In the wild they usually live four to ten years, although heavy predation means many die young. Individuals in captivity can live somewhat longer under stable conditions.

## Where are garter snakes found?
They range across North America from Canada to Mexico and live in meadows, marshes, woodlands, pond edges, and gardens. Their tolerance of cool climates lets them live farther north than almost any other North American snake.

## Where do garter snakes live?
Garter Snakes live in Meadows, marshes, woodlands, and gardens. The garter snake is one of the most common and widespread snakes in North America, found in meadows, marshes, woodlands, and gardens from Canada to Mexico.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/african-wild-dog): African Wild Dog — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The African wild dog is a lean, long-legged carnivore of sub-Saharan Africa, famous for its mottled coat of black, tan, and white patches. Weighing 20 to 30 kg and standing about 1.1 m in body length, it is one of the world's most efficient pack hunters, chasing prey at up to 60 km/h.

## Introduction
The African wild dog is a lean, long-legged carnivore of sub-Saharan Africa, famous for its mottled coat of black, tan, and white patches. Weighing 20 to 30 kg and standing about 1.1 m in body length, it is one of the world's most efficient pack hunters, chasing prey at up to 60 km/h. Packs are intensely social and cooperative. With only a few thousand left, the IUCN lists the species as Endangered.

## Takeaway
Also called the painted wolf, the African wild dog wears a unique coat blotched with black, yellow-tan, and white, so no two individuals look alike.

## Takeaway
African wild dogs are among the most social of all carnivores, living in packs led by a dominant breeding pair.

## Takeaway
These dogs are carnivores that hunt medium-sized antelope such as impala and kudu, along with warthog and smaller game.

## Appearance and identity
Also called the painted wolf, the African wild dog wears a unique coat blotched with black, yellow-tan, and white, so no two individuals look alike. It has large, rounded 'satellite-dish' ears that help with hearing and shed heat, a lean frame built for endurance, and only four toes on each foot rather than five. Adults weigh between 20 and 30 kg, with males slightly larger than females. This is Africa's only member of its genus, distinct from wolves, jackals, and domestic dogs.

## Pack life and social structure
African wild dogs are among the most social of all carnivores, living in packs led by a dominant breeding pair. The whole pack cooperates to raise pups, hunt, and care for sick or injured members, sharing food by regurgitation. Rather than fighting over rank, they use elaborate greeting ceremonies of twittering calls and body contact to bond and coordinate. Packs even 'vote' on whether to set off hunting through a chorus of sneezes, with the majority deciding the move.

## Hunting and diet
These dogs are carnivores that hunt medium-sized antelope such as impala and kudu, along with warthog and smaller game. Instead of ambushing, they run their prey down in a sustained, coordinated chase, reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h and wearing quarry out over long distances. Their teamwork makes them extraordinarily successful, with hunts often ending in a kill far more reliably than those of lions or hyenas. After a kill, pups are allowed to eat first, an unusual mark of their cooperative nature.

## Breeding and pups
Normally only the dominant pair breeds, producing a large litter after a gestation of about 70 days. Litters can be exceptionally big, sometimes exceeding ten pups, which are raised in a den and guarded by the whole pack. Adults returning from a hunt regurgitate meat for the pups and for any pack members that stayed behind. Young dogs remain with the pack to help rear the next generation before some disperse to form new packs.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/african-wild-dog): African Wild Dog — wildlife guide.

## Why it is endangered
The African wild dog is listed as Endangered, with only a few thousand individuals remaining across a fragmented range. Habitat loss and the break-up of large wild areas force packs into contact with people, leading to conflict with livestock farmers and deaths on roads. They are also highly vulnerable to diseases such as rabies and canine distemper caught from domestic dogs. Because they need vast territories, protecting connected landscapes and wildlife corridors is vital to their survival.

## Range and habitat
African wild dogs once roamed across much of the continent but now survive mainly in southern and eastern Africa. They favour savannas, grasslands, and open woodlands where there is room to run down prey. Some of the strongest populations persist in large protected areas such as those in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Tanzania. Each pack ranges over a huge home area, which is why fragmented habitat hits them so hard.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated african wild dog programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The african wild dog faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the african wild dog supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/african-wild-dog): African Wild Dog — wildlife guide.

## Are African wild dogs actually dogs?
African wild dogs belong to the dog family, Canidae, but they are not closely related to domestic dogs and cannot interbreed with them. They are the only living species in the genus Lycaon, set apart by having just four toes on each foot instead of five.

## How fast can an African wild dog run?
African wild dogs can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h (37 mph) and, crucially, sustain a fast pace over long distances. This endurance lets them wear down prey in extended chases rather than relying on a short ambush.

## Why are African wild dogs endangered?
They are Endangered mainly because of habitat loss, conflict with farmers, road deaths, and diseases such as rabies and distemper spread by domestic dogs. Because each pack needs a very large territory, the break-up of wild landscapes is especially damaging.

## How successful are African wild dogs at hunting?
African wild dogs are among the most successful large predators in Africa, with a high proportion of their coordinated hunts ending in a kill. Their success comes from teamwork and stamina rather than raw power or surprise.

## Why do African wild dogs sneeze?
Researchers have found that packs use sneezes as a kind of vote when deciding whether to leave a resting spot and hunt. If enough dogs sneeze during their social greeting rituals, the pack sets off, so the sneezes act as a group decision.

## How long do African wild dogs live?
In the wild, African wild dogs usually live about 10 to 11 years. Individuals in captivity, safe from disease, predators, and vehicles, can live somewhat longer.

## What do African wild dogs eat?
African wild dogs are carnivores that hunt medium-sized antelope such as impala and kudu, along with warthog and smaller game. Rather than ambushing, they run prey down in coordinated chases at up to 60 km/h, wearing quarry out over long distances before a kill.

## Where do African wild dogs live?
African wild dogs once ranged across much of Africa but now survive mainly in southern and eastern Africa. They favour savannas, grasslands and open woodlands where there is room to run down prey, with strongholds in large protected areas in Botswana, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.

## Are African wild dogs dangerous?
African wild dogs are not a threat to healthy adults who keep their distance. They are intensely social pack hunters focused on antelope and warthog, not people. Conflict arises when habitat fragmentation forces packs into contact with livestock farmers and roads, not from unprovoked attacks on humans.

## How big is an African wild dog?
Adults weigh 20–30 kg with males slightly larger than females, and stand about 1.1 m in body length. Their lean, long-legged build and large rounded ears are adapted for endurance hunting rather than raw power.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/aye-aye): Aye-aye — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The aye-aye is a large nocturnal lemur found only in Madagascar, easily recognised by its bushy tail, rodent-like teeth and long, spindly middle finger. It weighs 2 to 3 kg (4.4 to 6.6 lb) and forages alone at night for insect larvae, fruit, nectar and fungi.

## Introduction
The aye-aye is a large nocturnal lemur found only in Madagascar, easily recognised by its bushy tail, rodent-like teeth and long, spindly middle finger. It weighs 2 to 3 kg (4.4 to 6.6 lb) and forages alone at night for insect larvae, fruit, nectar and fungi. Long-lived for a lemur, it can survive 20 to 23 years in the wild. The IUCN lists it as Endangered.

## Takeaway
The aye-aye feeds using a method found in no other primate, sometimes called percussive foraging.

## Takeaway
Although insect larvae are a signature food, the aye-aye is an omnivore with a varied menu.

## Takeaway
The aye-aye grows to around 0.9 m (3 ft) including its long, bushy tail, which is often longer than its body.

## A unique way of finding food
The aye-aye feeds using a method found in no other primate, sometimes called percussive foraging. It taps rapidly along a branch with its slender middle finger and listens for the hollow echo of a tunnel left by wood-boring grubs. Once it locates a cavity, it gnaws a hole with its ever-growing incisors and hooks the larva out with that same thin finger. This tap-and-listen technique fills the same ecological niche that woodpeckers occupy elsewhere in the world.

## Diet beyond insects
Although insect larvae are a signature food, the aye-aye is an omnivore with a varied menu. It also eats fruit, nectar and fungi, and is fond of the seeds inside ripe coconuts and ramy nuts, which it opens with its powerful teeth. This flexible diet allows it to survive in both native rainforest and human-planted coconut groves. Its taste for cultivated crops occasionally brings it into conflict with farmers.

## Anatomy and senses
The aye-aye grows to around 0.9 m (3 ft) including its long, bushy tail, which is often longer than its body. Its most extraordinary feature is the elongated, almost skeletal middle finger, fitted with a ball-and-socket joint that lets it swivel freely. Large, sensitive ears give it acute hearing for detecting grubs beneath bark, and its huge eyes are adapted to gathering light on moonlit nights. Unusually among primates, its front teeth never stop growing, like a rodent's.

## Behaviour and lifestyle
Aye-ayes are strictly nocturnal and spend the daylight hours asleep in a spherical nest of leaves and twigs high in the canopy. They are largely solitary, moving slowly through the trees and leaping between branches to cover their large home ranges. Males range more widely than females and their territories often overlap, though individuals usually forage alone. They are surprisingly long-lived for a lemur, reaching over two decades in the wild.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/aye-aye): Aye-aye — wildlife guide.

## Why it is endangered
The aye-aye is listed as Endangered by the IUCN, threatened chiefly by the clearing of Madagascar's forests for farming and timber. It also suffers from direct persecution, because some local traditions regard the animal as an omen of bad luck and kill it on sight. Its slow reproduction, with females raising a single infant every two to three years, makes it hard for populations to recover. Protected reserves and captive-breeding programmes now play a key role in safeguarding the species.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated aye-aye programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The aye-aye faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the aye-aye supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/aye-aye): Aye-aye — wildlife guide.

## What is an aye-aye?
The aye-aye is a nocturnal lemur native to Madagascar and the world's largest nocturnal primate. It is famous for its long, thin middle finger, which it uses to fish grubs out of tree bark.

## Why does the aye-aye have such a long finger?
Its elongated middle finger is a specialised feeding tool. The aye-aye taps on branches to find hollow tunnels made by insect larvae, gnaws a hole in the wood, then uses the thin finger to hook the grubs out.

## What do aye-ayes eat?
Aye-ayes are omnivores. They eat insect larvae, fruit, nectar and fungi, and are especially fond of coconut flesh and the seeds inside hard nuts, which they crack open with their strong, ever-growing teeth.

## How long do aye-ayes live?
Aye-ayes can live 20 to 23 years in the wild, which is unusually long for a lemur. In captivity, well-cared-for individuals may live even longer.

## Are aye-ayes endangered?
Yes. The aye-aye is classified as Endangered by the IUCN. Habitat loss across Madagascar and killing driven by local superstition are the main threats to its survival.

## Where do aye-ayes live?
Aye-ayes live only on the island of Madagascar. They inhabit rainforests and, increasingly, coconut plantations, where they spend the day sleeping in leaf nests high in the trees.

## Are aye-ayes dangerous?
Aye-ayes are not aggressive toward people. They are solitary, nocturnal foragers that move slowly through the canopy. The IUCN lists them as Endangered, threatened by forest clearing and persecution because some local traditions regard the animal as an omen of bad luck.

## How big is an aye-aye?
An aye-aye weighs 2–3 kg and grows to around 0.9 m including its long bushy tail, which is often longer than its body. It is found only in Madagascar's rainforests and coconut plantations, foraging alone at night for insect larvae, fruit, nectar and fungi.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/howler-monkey): Howler Monkey — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The howler monkey is a large, leaf-eating New World primate famous for having one of the loudest calls of any land animal in the Americas. Living in the tropical forests of Central and South America, it weighs around 5 to 10 kg and spends almost its whole life high in the canopy.

## Introduction
The howler monkey is a large, leaf-eating New World primate famous for having one of the loudest calls of any land animal in the Americas. Living in the tropical forests of Central and South America, it weighs around 5 to 10 kg and spends almost its whole life high in the canopy. Its booming dawn chorus, produced with the help of a specialised throat bone, can carry for several kilometres. Howlers live 15 to 20 years in the wild and are listed as Least Concern.

## Takeaway
Howler monkeys are named for the deep, roaring calls that make them one of the loudest land animals in the Americas.

## Takeaway
Howler monkeys, of the genus Alouatta, live throughout the tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.

## Takeaway
Howlers are folivores, feeding mainly on leaves along with fruit, flowers, and buds.

## The famous howl
Howler monkeys are named for the deep, roaring calls that make them one of the loudest land animals in the Americas. Males produce these booming howls using an enlarged hyoid bone in the throat that acts as a resonating chamber. The calls carry for several kilometres through dense forest and are used to space out rival troops without the need to fight. Choruses are most striking at dawn and dusk, when neighbouring groups answer one another across the canopy.

## Range and habitat
Howler monkeys, of the genus Alouatta, live throughout the tropical forests of Central and South America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. They inhabit a range of woodland, including rainforest, dry forest, and mangrove, wherever there are enough tall trees. Almost their entire life is spent in the canopy, where they find food, sleep, and travel. They are among the most widespread of the New World monkeys.

## Diet and slow metabolism
Howlers are folivores, feeding mainly on leaves along with fruit, flowers, and buds. Leaves are low in energy and slow to digest, so the monkeys have an enlarged gut where bacteria ferment the tough plant material. To cope with this low-energy diet they rest for much of the day, sometimes for 15 hours or more. When fruit and young leaves are plentiful they take advantage of the richer food.

## Movement through the canopy
Howler monkeys move slowly and deliberately through the trees, rarely leaping and instead climbing carefully from branch to branch. Their strong, fully prehensile tail acts as a fifth limb, gripping branches and even supporting the animal's full weight while it reaches for food. Top speeds of around 16 km/h are reached only in short bursts, as their leaf-based diet leaves little energy to spare. They almost never come down to the ground, staying safe among the high branches.

## Social structure
Howlers live in troops of around 6 to 15 individuals, usually including several adults of both sexes along with juveniles and infants. Rather than fighting over territory, neighbouring groups rely on their loud calls to keep their distance. Within the troop, grooming and vocal exchanges help maintain social bonds. Males are larger than females and take the lead in the roaring contests that define howler society.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/howler-monkey): Howler Monkey — wildlife guide.

## Reproduction and lifespan
Females give birth to a single infant after a gestation of around six months, and the newborn clings to its mother as she moves through the trees. Young howlers are weaned gradually and learn which leaves and fruit are safe to eat by watching the adults. In the wild, howler monkeys live around 15 to 20 years. Their slow, energy-conserving lifestyle is reflected in their unhurried pace of breeding and growth.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated howler monkey programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The howler monkey is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the howler monkey supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/howler-monkey): Howler Monkey — wildlife guide.

## Why are howler monkeys so loud?
Male howler monkeys have an enlarged hyoid bone in the throat that acts as a resonating chamber, letting them produce deep, booming calls. These howls can carry for several kilometres and are used to advertise a troop's presence so that rival groups keep their distance without fighting.

## What do howler monkeys eat?
Howler monkeys are folivores, feeding mainly on leaves along with fruit, flowers, and buds. Leaves provide little energy and are slow to digest, so howlers have an enlarged gut to ferment them and spend much of the day resting to conserve energy.

## Where do howler monkeys live?
Howler monkeys live in the tropical forests of Central and South America, ranging from southern Mexico to northern Argentina. They occupy rainforest, dry forest, and mangroves, spending almost their entire lives high in the canopy.

## How loud is a howler monkey's call?
A howler monkey's call is among the loudest of any land animal in the Americas and can be heard several kilometres away through dense forest. The calls are loudest at dawn and dusk, when neighbouring troops answer one another across the canopy.

## How long do howler monkeys live?
Howler monkeys live around 15 to 20 years in the wild. Their slow, energy-conserving lifestyle, driven by a low-energy diet of leaves, is reflected in their unhurried pace of growth and breeding.

## Are howler monkeys endangered?
Howler monkeys are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, meaning they are not currently at high risk of extinction. They remain widespread across the Americas, though habitat loss and hunting affect some populations more than others.

## Are howler monkeys dangerous?
Howler Monkeys are not generally dangerous to people. The howler monkey is a large, leaf-eating New World primate famous for having one of the loudest calls of any land animal in the Americas. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

## How big is a howler monkey?
A Howler Monkey is about 15–20 years in the wild. The howler monkey is a large, leaf-eating New World primate famous for having one of the loudest calls of any land animal in the Americas. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN).


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/capuchin): Capuchin Monkey — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The capuchin is a small, highly intelligent New World monkey found in the tropical forests of Central America and northwest South America. Weighing about 3 to 4 kg and measuring roughly half a metre in body length, it is an agile tree-dweller that uses its prehensile tail for balance.

## Introduction
The capuchin is a small, highly intelligent New World monkey found in the tropical forests of Central America and northwest South America. Weighing about 3 to 4 kg and measuring roughly half a metre in body length, it is an agile tree-dweller that uses its prehensile tail for balance. Capuchins are famous for their problem-solving and use of simple tools, and they can live for 20 to 25 years in the wild. The IUCN lists them as Least Concern.

## Takeaway
White-faced capuchins live across the tropical forests of Central America and the north-western fringe of South America, from Honduras down to Colombia and Ecuador.

## Takeaway
Capuchins are among the most intelligent of the New World monkeys, with large brains relative to their body size.

## Takeaway
As omnivores, capuchins eat a broad and opportunistic diet of fruit, insects, small vertebrates, and nuts.

## Range and habitat
White-faced capuchins live across the tropical forests of Central America and the north-western fringe of South America, from Honduras down to Colombia and Ecuador. They occupy a wide variety of woodland, from lowland rainforest to dry and mangrove forest, and are highly adaptable. Most of their lives are spent in the canopy and mid-levels of the forest, though they will descend to lower branches and occasionally the ground to forage. This flexibility has helped keep them widespread and common across their range.

## Intelligence and tool use
Capuchins are among the most intelligent of the New World monkeys, with large brains relative to their body size. They are well documented using simple tools, such as stones to crack open nuts and shellfish, and they rub crushed plants and insects into their fur, which may deter parasites. Their dexterity and learning ability have long made them a focus of scientific study into primate cognition. In captivity, this same cleverness has seen them trained to assist people with disabilities.

## Diet and foraging
As omnivores, capuchins eat a broad and opportunistic diet of fruit, insects, small vertebrates, and nuts. They are inventive foragers, tearing apart bark, prising open pods, and searching leaf litter for hidden prey. Their strong hands and problem-solving skills let them reach foods that many other monkeys cannot. By carrying and dropping seeds as they feed, capuchins help spread the plants of the forest they live in.

## Social life
Capuchins live in groups of around 10 to 35 individuals, led by a dominant male and female. These troops are noisy and cooperative, grooming one another and joining together to mob predators such as snakes and birds of prey. Communication relies on a rich mix of calls, facial expressions, and body postures. Young capuchins learn foraging techniques and social rules by closely watching the adults around them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/capuchin): Capuchin Monkey — wildlife guide.

## Movement through the trees
Capuchins are agile, quadrupedal climbers that run and leap through the branches, reaching speeds of up to 24 km/h in the trees. Their semi-prehensile tail acts as a fifth limb, curling around branches to steady them and free their hands for feeding. They rarely make the long, arm-swinging leaps of larger primates, instead moving in quick, controlled bounds. On the ground they move less confidently and prefer to stay aloft where they are safer from predators.

## Reproduction and lifespan
Females usually give birth to a single infant after a gestation of about five to six months. The newborn clings to its mother's back and is cared for by her and, at times, other members of the troop. Capuchins mature slowly for a small monkey, reflecting their long lives of 20 to 25 years in the wild and often longer in captivity. This slow pace of life is closely tied to their large brains and lengthy learning period.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated capuchin monkey programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The capuchin monkey is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the capuchin monkey supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/capuchin): Capuchin Monkey — wildlife guide.

## Why are capuchin monkeys considered so intelligent?
Capuchins have unusually large brains for their body size and are among the few primates that use tools in the wild, such as stones to crack nuts. They learn quickly, solve novel problems, and pass foraging techniques between generations, which is why they feature so often in studies of primate cognition.

## What do capuchin monkeys eat?
Capuchins are omnivores with a varied diet of fruit, insects, small vertebrates, and nuts. They are resourceful foragers that tear open bark and pods and search leaf litter for hidden prey, adjusting their diet to whatever is available in their forest.

## Where do capuchin monkeys live?
The white-faced capuchin lives in the tropical forests of Central America and the north-west of South America, ranging from Honduras to Colombia and Ecuador. They occupy many forest types, from lowland rainforest to dry and mangrove woodland, spending most of their time in the canopy.

## How long do capuchin monkeys live?
Capuchins live around 20 to 25 years in the wild and often longer in captivity. This is a long lifespan for such a small monkey and is linked to their large brains and slow development.

## Do capuchin monkeys make good pets?
Capuchins are wild animals and generally make poor pets. They are long-lived, highly intelligent, and social, and in captivity they often become destructive or aggressive when their complex needs are not met. Their care is demanding and, in many places, keeping one is legally restricted.

## Are capuchin monkeys endangered?
The white-faced capuchin is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, meaning it is not currently at high risk of extinction. It remains widespread and adaptable, though like most rainforest animals it is affected by habitat loss and the pet trade in parts of its range.

## Are capuchin monkeys dangerous?
Capuchins are wild animals with powerful prey-catching reflexes and are not safe household companions. When kept in captivity without appropriate space and stimulation they can become destructive or aggressive, which is why wildlife experts discourage keeping them as pets.

## How big is a capuchin monkey?
Capuchins weigh about 3 to 4 kg and measure roughly half a metre in body length. They are agile tree-dwellers that can reach speeds of up to 24 km/h in the canopy, using their semi-prehensile tail as a fifth limb for balance.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/elephant-seal): Northern Elephant Seal — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a huge deep-diving seal of the eastern Pacific, breeding on beaches in California and Mexico and feeding far offshore. Bulls are enormous, reaching around 3.5 m long and weighing anywhere from 400 to 2,300 kg, far heavier than females.

## Introduction
The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a huge deep-diving seal of the eastern Pacific, breeding on beaches in California and Mexico and feeding far offshore. Bulls are enormous, reaching around 3.5 m long and weighing anywhere from 400 to 2,300 kg, far heavier than females. They dive for squid and deep-sea fish and typically live 11 to 13 years. The species is listed as Least Concern.

## Takeaway
Northern elephant seals are named for the large, inflatable snout of adult males, which resembles a short trunk and hangs over the mouth.

## Takeaway
Few mammals dive as deeply or for as long as the northern elephant seal.

## Takeaway
Elephant seals are carnivores that feed mainly on squid, deep-sea fish, and occasionally rays and small sharks.

## Size and the elephant-like nose
Northern elephant seals are named for the large, inflatable snout of adult males, which resembles a short trunk and hangs over the mouth. Bulls are among the largest of all seals, growing to roughly 3.5 m and weighing from 400 kg up to about 2,300 kg, while females are far smaller. Males use the trunk-like proboscis as a resonating chamber, producing deep, clattering roars that carry across a crowded breeding beach. This dramatic size difference between the sexes is one of the most extreme of any mammal.

## Record-breaking diving
Few mammals dive as deeply or for as long as the northern elephant seal. Individuals routinely descend hundreds of metres and can reach depths beyond 1,500 m, staying submerged for 20 minutes or more between short breaths at the surface. They spend most of the year at sea, diving almost continuously day and night to hunt in the cold, dark water column. Special adaptations, including large blood volume and oxygen-rich muscle, let them stay under far longer than their lung capacity alone would allow.

## Diet and hunting at depth
Elephant seals are carnivores that feed mainly on squid, deep-sea fish, and occasionally rays and small sharks. They hunt in the twilight and dark zones of the open ocean, using sensitive whiskers and large eyes to detect prey where little light reaches. Because they feed far offshore and deep down, they rarely compete with coastal fisheries. A foraging seal may travel thousands of kilometres across the Pacific during a single trip to sea.

## Breeding beaches and battles
Each winter, northern elephant seals haul out on beaches in California and Baja California, Mexico, to breed. Dominant bulls fight for control of harems of females, rearing up and slamming their chests and necks together in bloody clashes. Females give birth to a single pup and nurse it on extremely rich milk for about a month before returning to sea. Only the largest, most dominant males win the right to mate, so the winners father a large share of the pups.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/elephant-seal): Northern Elephant Seal — wildlife guide.

## Recovery from near-extinction
The northern elephant seal is a rare conservation success story. Hunted relentlessly for its blubber oil in the nineteenth century, the species was reduced to perhaps fewer than 100 animals before protection began. Given legal protection by Mexico and later the United States, the population has rebounded into the hundreds of thousands and is now listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. Because all living individuals descend from that tiny remnant, however, the species carries very low genetic diversity.

## Time on land and moulting
Although superb swimmers, elephant seals are ungainly on land, hauling themselves along at up to about 16 km/h in short bursts. They come ashore twice a year: once to breed and again to moult, when they shed skin and fur in large patches during a so-called catastrophic moult. During these weeks on land they fast, living off stored blubber rather than feeding. Between these visits they are almost entirely oceanic, returning to the same beaches year after year.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated northern elephant seal programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The northern elephant seal is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the northern elephant seal supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/elephant-seal): Northern Elephant Seal — wildlife guide.

## How big is a northern elephant seal?
Bulls reach around 3.5 m in length and can weigh anywhere from 400 kg to about 2,300 kg (880 to 5,070 lb). Females are much smaller, which makes the northern elephant seal one of the most size-differentiated mammals between the sexes.

## How deep can elephant seals dive?
Northern elephant seals are among the deepest-diving mammals, routinely reaching several hundred metres and sometimes exceeding 1,500 m. They can stay underwater for 20 minutes or more, thanks to large blood volume and oxygen-storing muscle.

## What do elephant seals eat?
They are carnivores that feed mainly on squid and deep-sea fish, along with the occasional ray or small shark. They hunt in the dark, deep layers of the open Pacific rather than in shallow coastal waters.

## Where do northern elephant seals live?
They spend most of the year far offshore in the eastern North Pacific and come ashore to breed and moult on beaches in California and Baja California, Mexico. Well-known haul-out sites include Año Nuevo and Piedras Blancas.

## Why are they called elephant seals?
The name comes from the large, inflatable snout of adult males, which resembles a short elephant's trunk. Bulls use it to amplify their roaring calls during the breeding season.

## Are northern elephant seals endangered?
No. Although they were hunted almost to extinction in the 1800s, they have recovered strongly and are now listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. The whole population descends from a tiny surviving group, so genetic diversity remains low.

## How long do northern elephant seals live?
Northern Elephant Seals typically live 11–13 years in the wild (females longer than bulls). The northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris) is a huge deep-diving seal of the eastern Pacific, breeding on beaches in California and Mexico and feeding far offshore. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grey-seal): Grey Seal — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is a large North Atlantic seal named for its long, horse-like muzzle. It swims after fish, squid, and crustaceans along rocky coasts, islands, and ice edges, and a big bull can weigh up to 230 kg.

## Introduction
The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is a large North Atlantic seal named for its long, horse-like muzzle. It swims after fish, squid, and crustaceans along rocky coasts, islands, and ice edges, and a big bull can weigh up to 230 kg. Powerful swimmers, grey seals reach about 24 km/h in the water and can live 25 to 35 years. The IUCN lists the species as Least Concern.

## Takeaway
Grey seals are strong, agile swimmers, driving themselves through the water with their hind flippers at speeds of up to 24 km/h.

## Takeaway
As carnivores, grey seals take a wide range of fish, along with squid and crustaceans.

## Takeaway
Grey seals are easily confused with the smaller common (harbour) seal, but a few features set them apart.

## Swimming and diving
Grey seals are strong, agile swimmers, driving themselves through the water with their hind flippers at speeds of up to 24 km/h. They routinely dive to depths of tens of metres and can stay submerged for well over ten minutes while hunting on or near the seabed. A thick layer of blubber keeps them warm in cold Atlantic water and stores energy for the breeding season. On land they are far clumsier, hauling out onto rocks and beaches to rest, moult, and breed.

## Diet and hunting
As carnivores, grey seals take a wide range of fish, along with squid and crustaceans. Sandeels, cod, and other bottom-dwelling fish feature heavily in the diet, and prey choice shifts with the seasons and what is locally abundant. Sensitive whiskers help them detect the movements of fish in dark or murky water. A large adult may eat several kilograms of food each day to fuel its bulk.

## Telling grey seals apart
Grey seals are easily confused with the smaller common (harbour) seal, but a few features set them apart. The grey seal has a long, straight, horse-like muzzle with nostrils that sit almost parallel, whereas the common seal has a shorter, dog-like face and V-shaped nostrils. Grey seals are also noticeably bigger, with bulls far larger than cows. Coat patterns are blotchy rather than neatly spotted.

## Breeding colonies and pups
Grey seals gather in large, noisy colonies to breed, with bulls competing to control stretches of beach and the females on them. Each cow gives birth to a single pup with a fluffy white coat, which she nurses on extremely rich milk. The pup piles on weight rapidly over about three weeks, then is weaned abruptly and left to moult its white fur and take to the sea on its own. Adults may live 25 to 35 years, so a colony contains many long-established animals.

## Where grey seals live
Grey seals are animals of North Atlantic coasts, islands, and ice edges, on both the European and North American sides of the ocean. The coasts of Britain and Ireland are a global stronghold, holding a large share of the world's grey seals, which makes them a familiar sight to UK sea-watchers. They favour remote rocky shores, sandbanks, and offshore islands where they can haul out undisturbed. Individuals may range widely at sea between these haul-out sites.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grey-seal): Grey Seal — wildlife guide.

## Conservation
The grey seal is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, and numbers in the North Atlantic have generally been stable or increasing. In Britain the species is legally protected, and its populations have grown since the days of heavy hunting. Entanglement in fishing gear, disturbance at breeding beaches, and conflict with fisheries remain the main concerns. Careful monitoring of colonies helps track the health of the wider population.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated grey seal programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The grey seal is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the grey seal supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grey-seal): Grey Seal — wildlife guide.

## How fast can a grey seal swim?
Grey seals can swim at up to about 24 km/h, propelling themselves with their hind flippers. They are agile in the water and can dive to considerable depths, but they move slowly and awkwardly on land.

## What do grey seals eat?
Grey seals are carnivores that feed on fish, squid, and crustaceans. Sandeels, cod, and other bottom-living fish are important, and their diet shifts with the seasons and local abundance. A large adult eats several kilograms a day.

## How can you tell a grey seal from a common seal?
A grey seal has a long, straight, horse-like muzzle with near-parallel nostrils and is noticeably larger. The common (harbour) seal has a shorter, dog-like face with V-shaped nostrils. Grey seals also have blotchy rather than neatly spotted coats.

## How big do grey seals get?
Grey seals weigh from around 100 kg up to 230 kg, with bulls much larger than cows. They reach roughly 2.3 m in length, making them one of the largest seals in the North Atlantic.

## Where do grey seals live in the UK?
Grey seals breed all around the coasts of Britain and Ireland, favouring remote rocky shores, sandbanks, and offshore islands. The UK holds a large share of the world's grey seals, so they are a common sight for coastal wildlife watchers.

## How long do grey seals live?
Grey seals typically live 25 to 35 years in the wild. Females often live longer than the heavily competing bulls, and long-established colonies contain many older, experienced animals.

## Are grey seals dangerous?
Grey Seals are not generally dangerous to people. The grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) is a large North Atlantic seal named for its long, horse-like muzzle. It swims after fish, squid, and crustaceans along rocky coasts, islands, and ice edges, and a big bull can weigh up to 230 kg. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/hawksbill-turtle): Hawksbill Sea Turtle — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The hawksbill is a small sea turtle of tropical coral reefs worldwide, named for its narrow, bird-like beak. It grows to about 0.9 m (3 ft) and 45 to 90 kg, feeds mainly on sponges, and can swim at up to 24 km/h (15 mph).

## Introduction
The hawksbill is a small sea turtle of tropical coral reefs worldwide, named for its narrow, bird-like beak. It grows to about 0.9 m (3 ft) and 45 to 90 kg, feeds mainly on sponges, and can swim at up to 24 km/h (15 mph). Hawksbills live 30 to 50 years in the wild and are Critically Endangered, largely because their beautiful shells were harvested for tortoiseshell.

## Takeaway
The hawksbill is instantly recognised by its overlapping, amber-and-brown scutes, which form the patterned shell long prized as "tortoiseshell".

## Takeaway
Hawksbills are one of the very few animals that eat sponges as the core of their diet, using that narrow beak to reach into reef crevices.

## Takeaway
Hawksbills favour tropical coral reefs, rocky areas, lagoons, and mangrove estuaries across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.

## Appearance and the tortoiseshell shell
The hawksbill is instantly recognised by its overlapping, amber-and-brown scutes, which form the patterned shell long prized as "tortoiseshell". Its jaws taper to a sharp, hooked beak that works like a pair of scissors, and the rear of the shell is serrated like the teeth of a saw. Adults reach around 0.9 m (3 ft) in shell length and 45 to 90 kg, making them smaller than the bulky loggerhead.

## A sponge specialist
Hawksbills are one of the very few animals that eat sponges as the core of their diet, using that narrow beak to reach into reef crevices. They also take jellyfish, sea anemones, and algae, and are tolerant of toxins that would poison most predators. By grazing sponges that would otherwise overgrow corals, hawksbills help keep reef surfaces open for reef-building coral.

## Coral reef habitat
Hawksbills favour tropical coral reefs, rocky areas, lagoons, and mangrove estuaries across the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. They are strong, agile swimmers that reach speeds of up to 24 km/h (15 mph) and squeeze into tight reef spaces where larger turtles cannot follow. Individuals often show strong fidelity to particular reefs, returning to the same feeding grounds year after year.

## Nesting and reproduction
Females come ashore on remote tropical beaches, usually at night, digging a pit and laying clutches that can exceed 100 eggs. The sex of the hatchlings is set by nest temperature, with warmer sand producing more females. Hatchlings emerge after about two months and scramble to the sea, but only a tiny fraction survive to adulthood, and females may not breed until they are decades old.

## Why it is Critically Endangered
The hawksbill is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, and its population has fallen sharply over the last century. The main driver was the tortoiseshell trade, which killed vast numbers for jewellery and ornaments, and demand persists illegally today. Habitat loss, coral-reef decline, egg collection, and entanglement in fishing gear continue to threaten the species despite international protection.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/hawksbill-turtle): Hawksbill Sea Turtle — wildlife guide.

## Lifespan and slow maturity
Hawksbills are long-lived, reaching 30 to 50 years in the wild, but they mature slowly and reproduce late. This slow life history means populations recover very gradually, so losses from hunting or bycatch take decades to replace. Protecting nesting beaches and reducing illegal shell trade are therefore central to any recovery.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated hawksbill sea turtle programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The hawksbill sea turtle faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the hawksbill sea turtle supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/hawksbill-turtle): Hawksbill Sea Turtle — wildlife guide.

## Why is the hawksbill turtle endangered?
Hawksbills are Critically Endangered mainly because of the historic tortoiseshell trade, which killed huge numbers for their patterned shells. Ongoing threats include illegal shell sales, loss of coral-reef habitat, egg poaching, and accidental capture in fishing gear.

## What do hawksbill turtles eat?
Hawksbills are specialists that feed mainly on sponges, which most animals avoid. They also eat jellyfish, sea anemones, and algae, using their narrow, beak-like jaws to reach prey inside reef crevices.

## How big do hawksbill turtles get?
Adult hawksbills reach about 0.9 m (3 ft) in shell length and weigh roughly 45 to 90 kg (100 to 200 lb). They are noticeably smaller than loggerhead and green turtles.

## How long do hawksbill turtles live?
In the wild hawksbills live around 30 to 50 years. They mature slowly and breed late in life, which makes their populations slow to recover from losses.

## Why is it called a hawksbill turtle?
The name comes from its narrow, pointed beak, which curves like a hawk's bill. This sharp beak lets it reach into tight crevices in the reef to pull out sponges and other prey.

## How fast can a hawksbill turtle swim?
Hawksbills can swim at up to about 24 km/h (15 mph) in short bursts. They are agile in the water and can twist through narrow reef spaces that larger turtles cannot enter.

## Where do hawksbill sea turtles live?
Hawksbill Sea Turtles live in Tropical coral reefs worldwide. The hawksbill is a small sea turtle of tropical coral reefs worldwide, named for its narrow, bird-like beak.

## Are hawksbill sea turtles dangerous?
Hawksbill Sea Turtles are not generally dangerous to people. The hawksbill is a small sea turtle of tropical coral reefs worldwide, named for its narrow, bird-like beak. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/box-turtle): Eastern Box Turtle — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) is a small, land-dwelling turtle of the eastern United States, known for the hinged shell it can close like a box for protection. It lives in woodlands, meadows, and wetlands, eating insects, fruit, mushrooms, and carrion.

## Introduction
The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) is a small, land-dwelling turtle of the eastern United States, known for the hinged shell it can close like a box for protection. It lives in woodlands, meadows, and wetlands, eating insects, fruit, mushrooms, and carrion. Barely 15 cm long and weighing around half a kilogram, it is a famously slow, long-lived reptile that can survive 50 to 100 years. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable.

## Takeaway
The box turtle takes its name from the hinge across its lower shell, or plastron, which lets it fold the front and back sections tightly shut.

## Takeaway
Eastern box turtles are omnivores with a varied appetite that changes as they grow.

## Takeaway
The species lives in the woodlands, meadows, and wetlands of the eastern United States, favouring moist, leafy ground with plenty of cover.

## The hinged shell
The box turtle takes its name from the hinge across its lower shell, or plastron, which lets it fold the front and back sections tightly shut. Pulled into its high-domed shell, the turtle can seal itself completely inside, leaving no soft parts exposed to a predator. This living armour is its main defence, since it is far too slow to flee from danger. The shell also bears colourful yellow or orange markings that vary from turtle to turtle.

## Diet and feeding
Eastern box turtles are omnivores with a varied appetite that changes as they grow. Young turtles lean heavily towards animal prey such as insects, worms, and snails, while adults eat more plant matter, including fruit and mushrooms. They will also scavenge carrion when they find it. Remarkably, box turtles can eat certain fungi that are toxic to humans without coming to harm.

## Habitat and home range
The species lives in the woodlands, meadows, and wetlands of the eastern United States, favouring moist, leafy ground with plenty of cover. Individual turtles are strongly tied to a small home range, often only a few hectares, which they may occupy for their entire lives. This deep attachment to home means a turtle moved far away will try to travel back, frequently dying on roads in the attempt. On hot days they shelter in leaf litter, logs, or shallow pools to stay cool and moist.

## Longevity and reproduction
Box turtles are among the longest-lived of small reptiles, commonly reaching 50 years and sometimes approaching a century. They mature slowly, often taking several years to reach breeding age. After mating, the female digs a nest in soft soil and lays a small clutch of eggs, then leaves them to incubate unattended. Only a few hatchlings survive to adulthood, so the loss of even a handful of breeding adults can hurt a population.

## Hibernation
In the colder parts of its range, the eastern box turtle spends winter in a state of dormancy. As temperatures drop it burrows into loose soil, leaf litter, or the mud of pond edges and slows its body down to survive the freeze. It can even tolerate small amounts of ice forming in its tissues without dying. When the ground warms in spring, the turtle emerges to resume feeding and breeding.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/box-turtle): Eastern Box Turtle — wildlife guide.

## Why it is Vulnerable
The eastern box turtle is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN, and its slow life history makes it hard to recover from losses. Habitat destruction, road deaths, and collection for the pet trade all take a steady toll on wild populations. Because the turtles breed slowly and rely on many years of adult survival, even modest ongoing losses cause long-term decline. Keeping woodland habitats connected and leaving wild turtles where they are found both help the species persist.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated eastern box turtle programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The eastern box turtle faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the eastern box turtle supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/box-turtle): Eastern Box Turtle — wildlife guide.

## Why is it called a box turtle?
It is named for the hinge across its lower shell, which lets the turtle fold the shell shut like a box. Sealed inside its high-domed shell, it can hide every soft part from predators, its main defence against attack.

## What do eastern box turtles eat?
They are omnivores. Young turtles eat mostly insects, worms, and snails, while adults take more fruit and mushrooms, and both will scavenge carrion. They can safely eat some fungi that are poisonous to people.

## How long do box turtles live?
Eastern box turtles are remarkably long-lived, commonly reaching 50 years and sometimes nearing 100. They grow and mature slowly, so a wild population depends on adults surviving for many decades.

## How big do eastern box turtles get?
They are small turtles, only about 15 cm long and weighing roughly 0.3 to 0.6 kg. Their shell is distinctively high and domed, marked with variable yellow or orange patterns.

## Why should you not move a box turtle?
Box turtles are strongly attached to a small home range they may keep for life. A turtle carried away will try to return, often dying on roads in the attempt, so wild ones are best left exactly where they are found.

## Are eastern box turtles endangered?
They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. Habitat loss, road deaths, and collection for the pet trade steadily reduce their numbers, and their very slow breeding makes recovery from these losses difficult.

## Where do eastern box turtles live?
Eastern Box Turtles live in Eastern US woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. The eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina) is a small, land-dwelling turtle of the eastern United States, known for the hinged shell it can close like a box for protection.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/brown-bear): Brown Bear — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The brown bear is one of the world's largest land carnivores, found across North America, Europe, and Asia. Adults typically weigh 130–360 kg (290–800 lb), run up to 56 km/h (35 mph), and hibernate through winter in dens.

## Introduction
The brown bear is one of the world's largest land carnivores, found across North America, Europe, and Asia. Adults typically weigh 130–360 kg (290–800 lb), run up to 56 km/h (35 mph), and hibernate through winter in dens. Coastal populations that feed heavily on salmon can grow much larger than inland grizzlies.

## Takeaway
Brown bears are omnivores whose diet shifts with the seasons.

## Takeaway
Pregnant females enter dens in late autumn and give birth during hibernation, usually to one to three cubs that nurse and grow inside the den until spring.

## Takeaway
Brown bears once ranged across much of western North America, Europe, and temperate Asia.

## Diet and seasonal feeding
Brown bears are omnivores whose diet shifts with the seasons. In spring they graze on sedges and roots; summer brings berries and insects; autumn is dominated by hyperphagia as bears pack on fat before winter. Coastal bears gather at salmon runs, while inland populations rely more on plants and small mammals.

## Hibernation and reproduction
Pregnant females enter dens in late autumn and give birth during hibernation, usually to one to three cubs that nurse and grow inside the den until spring. Hibernation slows heart rate and metabolism dramatically, allowing bears to survive months without eating, drinking, or passing waste.

## Range and subspecies
Brown bears once ranged across much of western North America, Europe, and temperate Asia. Today they persist in Scandinavia, the Carpathians, the Rockies, Alaska, and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. The North American grizzly and the Kodiak bear are well-known subspecies of Ursus arctos.

## Conservation and human conflict
Globally listed Least Concern, brown bears nevertheless face local declines from habitat fragmentation, poaching, and conflict with livestock. Responsible bear-country practices — securing food, carrying deterrents, and giving mothers with cubs space — reduce dangerous encounters.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated brown bear programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The brown bear is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the brown bear supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/brown-bear): Brown Bear — wildlife guide.

## What is the difference between a brown bear and a grizzly bear?
Grizzly bears are a subspecies of brown bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) found mainly in inland North America. Coastal brown bears that eat more salmon tend to grow larger. All grizzlies are brown bears, but not all brown bears are grizzlies.

## How big do brown bears get?
Most adult males weigh 180–360 kg (400–800 lb), while females are smaller. Exceptional coastal males in Alaska and Kamchatka can exceed 600 kg when salmon is abundant.

## Do brown bears hibernate?
Yes. Brown bears enter a deep winter dormancy for several months, living off stored body fat. Their heart rate and body temperature drop, and females may give birth inside the den during this period.

## Are brown bears dangerous to humans?
Brown bears usually avoid people, but surprise encounters, food-conditioned bears, and mothers defending cubs can be dangerous. Wildlife agencies advise making noise on trails, storing food properly, and never running from a bear.

## What do brown bears eat?
They are omnivores. Plants — especially berries, roots, and grasses — often make up most of the diet, supplemented by fish, insects, small mammals, and carrion depending on location and season.

## Where do brown bears live?
Brown bears occupy forests, mountains and tundra across the Northern Hemisphere, from Scandinavia and the Carpathians to the Rockies, Alaska and Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula. Coastal populations that feed heavily on salmon can grow much larger than inland grizzlies.

## How long do brown bears live?
Brown bears typically live 20–25 years in the wild, and up to about 35 years in captivity. Adults can run up to 56 km/h (35 mph) in short bursts despite spending months hibernating through winter in dens.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/bonobo): Bonobo — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
Bonobos are great apes found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, closely related to chimpanzees but generally less aggressive, with female-led social bonds and extensive use of social behaviour to resolve conflict. Listed Endangered, they weigh 30–50 kg and face habitat loss and bushmeat hunting.

## Introduction
Bonobos are great apes found only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, closely related to chimpanzees but generally less aggressive, with female-led social bonds and extensive use of social behaviour to resolve conflict. Listed Endangered, they weigh 30–50 kg and face habitat loss and bushmeat hunting.

## Takeaway
Bonobo groups are led by strong female alliances that cooperate to manage aggression and access food.

## Takeaway
Bonobos evolved separately from chimpanzees after the Congo River formed a barrier roughly two million years ago.

## Takeaway
Bonobos pass mirror tests, use tools in captivity, and show advanced communication in language research projects.

## Female-centred society
Bonobo groups are led by strong female alliances that cooperate to manage aggression and access food. Females migrate between groups and form bonds that reduce male dominance compared with chimpanzees. Social grooming and play are central to group cohesion.

## Congo River isolation
Bonobos evolved separately from chimpanzees after the Congo River formed a barrier roughly two million years ago. They occupy forests exclusively south of the river in the DRC — a range far smaller and more fragmented than that of chimps.

## Intelligence and tool use
Bonobos pass mirror tests, use tools in captivity, and show advanced communication in language research projects. In the wild they forage mainly for ripe fruit, sharing patches peacefully more often than chimpanzees do.

## Conservation crisis
Fewer than 20,000 bonobos may remain, listed Endangered from bushmeat hunting, logging, and civil conflict in the DRC. Protected areas such as Salonga National Park are critical, but enforcement remains challenging in remote rainforest.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated bonobo programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The bonobo faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the bonobo supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/bonobo): Bonobo — wildlife guide.

## Bonobo vs chimpanzee — what is the difference?
Bonobos are slimmer, more often walk upright, and have less aggressive male-dominated politics. Chimpanzees live north of the Congo River; bonobos live south.

## Are bonobos peaceful?
They are less violent than chimpanzees toward their own kind, using social bonding to reduce tension — though they are not conflict-free and can still fight.

## Where do bonobos live?
Only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in forests south of the Congo River — nowhere else in the wild.

## How intelligent are bonobos?
Among the most intelligent non-human animals, with advanced social cognition, tool use in research settings, and complex communication abilities.

## Are bonobos endangered?
Yes — Endangered on the IUCN Red List, mainly from hunting and habitat destruction in one of the world's poorest and most conflict-affected regions.

## What do bonobos eat?
Bonobos are omnivores feeding mainly on fruit, leaves, seeds and occasional small mammals. In the wild they forage for ripe fruit and share patches peacefully more often than chimpanzees do.

## Are bonobos dangerous?
Bonobos are generally less aggressive than chimpanzees, using social behaviour to resolve conflict, but they are not conflict-free and can still fight. Fewer than 20,000 may remain, threatened by bushmeat hunting and logging in the DRC.

## How long do bonobos live?
Bonobos live 40–50 years in the wild. They are Endangered great apes found only south of the Congo River, where habitat loss and bushmeat hunting continue to shrink their range.

## How big is a bonobo?
Adult bonobos weigh 30–50 kg (66–110 lb), with females slightly smaller. They are closely related to chimpanzees but generally less aggressive, with female-led social bonds across lowland and swamp forests of the DRC.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/black-rhino): Black Rhinoceros — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The black rhinoceros is a large African rhino with a hooked upper lip for browsing shrubs, weighing 800–1,400 kg (1,750–3,100 lb) despite its name referring to soil colour, not hide. Critically endangered from poaching for horn, fewer than 6,500 remain across scattered eastern and southern African reserves.

## Introduction
The black rhinoceros is a large African rhino with a hooked upper lip for browsing shrubs, weighing 800–1,400 kg (1,750–3,100 lb) despite its name referring to soil colour, not hide. Critically endangered from poaching for horn, fewer than 6,500 remain across scattered eastern and southern African reserves.

## Takeaway
The prehensile pointed upper lip lets black rhinos strip leaves from thorny acacia and succulents that grass-eating white rhinos cannot exploit.

## Takeaway
Black rhinos are more solitary and aggressive than white rhinos, with bulls maintaining territories and cows accompanying calves.

## Takeaway
Rhino horn — made of keratin like fingernails — is illegally traded for traditional medicine and status symbols, driving poaching despite international bans.

## Hooked lip browser
The prehensile pointed upper lip lets black rhinos strip leaves from thorny acacia and succulents that grass-eating white rhinos cannot exploit. They have poor eyesight but acute hearing and smell, charging threats they detect downwind.

## Solitary temperament
Black rhinos are more solitary and aggressive than white rhinos, with bulls maintaining territories and cows accompanying calves. Mothers are fiercely protective — most human injuries involve surprised animals on foot.

## Poaching catastrophe
Rhino horn — made of keratin like fingernails — is illegally traded for traditional medicine and status symbols, driving poaching despite international bans. Black rhino numbers crashed 96% between 1970 and 1990; recovery is slow but ongoing in well-guarded reserves.

## Recovery efforts
Intensive anti-poaching, dehorning programmes, and translocations support populations in Namibia, Kenya, South Africa, and Tanzania. Critically Endangered globally, the species illustrates both the devastation of illegal wildlife trade and the impact of committed conservation funding.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated black rhinoceros programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The black rhinoceros faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the black rhinoceros supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/black-rhino): Black Rhinoceros — wildlife guide.

## Black rhino vs white rhino?
Black rhinos are smaller, hook-lipped browsers holding their heads high. White rhinos are larger, square-lipped grazers of grass. 'Black' and 'white' are mistranslations of Dutch/Afrikaans words, not skin colour.

## How many black rhinos are left?
Roughly 6,000–6,500 in the wild after decades of poaching — up from a low of about 2,400 in the 1990s thanks to protection.

## Why are rhinos poached?
For their horns, sold illegally despite being made of keratin with no proven medicinal value. Demand in some Asian markets drives the trade.

## Are black rhinos dangerous?
They charge when threatened and have poor eyesight, making close approaches on foot extremely risky. Respect park rules and ranger guidance.

## Where do black rhinos live?
Scattered protected areas in Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia — absent from most of their historic range.

## What do black rhinos eat?
Black rhinos are herbivores that browse leaves, branches and woody shrubs, using a hooked upper lip to strip thorny acacia and succulents that grass-eating white rhinos cannot exploit.

## How long do black rhinos live?
Black rhinos live 35–50 years in the wild. Females are fiercely protective of calves, and most human injuries involve surprised animals encountered on foot.

## How big is a black rhino?
Black rhinos weigh 800–1,400 kg (1,750–3,100 lb) and reach about 3.5 m in length. Despite the name referring to soil colour rather than hide, they can charge at up to 55 km/h when threatened.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/fin-whale): Fin Whale — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, reaching 25 m (82 ft) and 70 tonnes with an asymmetric jaw colouring. A fast baleen whale capable of 40 km/h bursts, it filters krill and small fish and is listed Vulnerable after decades of commercial whaling.

## Introduction
The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, reaching 25 m (82 ft) and 70 tonnes with an asymmetric jaw colouring. A fast baleen whale capable of 40 km/h bursts, it filters krill and small fish and is listed Vulnerable after decades of commercial whaling.

## Takeaway
Fin whales gulp enormous mouthfuls of water and strain krill and fish through baleen plates — keratin fringes hanging from the upper jaw.

## Takeaway
The right lower jaw is white, the left dark — a unique asymmetry whose function is debated, possibly related to corralling prey while swimming on their side.

## Takeaway
Fin whales migrate between high-latitude feeding grounds and lower-latitude breeding areas.

## Filter feeding at scale
Fin whales gulp enormous mouthfuls of water and strain krill and fish through baleen plates — keratin fringes hanging from the upper jaw. They lunge-feed in productive upwellings and may cooperate loosely to concentrate prey.

## Asymmetric coloration
The right lower jaw is white, the left dark — a unique asymmetry whose function is debated, possibly related to corralling prey while swimming on their side. A prominent dorsal fin set far back gives a sleek profile unlike blue whales.

## Migration and song
Fin whales migrate between high-latitude feeding grounds and lower-latitude breeding areas. Their low-frequency vocalisations carry hundreds of kilometres underwater and may help navigation or mate finding across ocean basins.

## Recovery from whaling
Industrial whaling decimated fin whales in the 20th century. Listed Vulnerable, populations are increasing in the North Atlantic and Southern Ocean where hunting has largely ceased, but ship strikes and entanglement remain significant threats.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated fin whale programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The fin whale faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the fin whale supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/fin-whale): Fin Whale — wildlife guide.

## How big is a fin whale?
Up to about 25 m and 70 tonnes — second only to the blue whale among all animals.

## Fin whale vs blue whale?
Blue whales are larger with a mottled blue-grey body and small dorsal fin. Fin whales are slightly smaller, faster, with a swept-back dorsal fin and asymmetric jaw.

## Why is the jaw two colours?
The white right lower jaw may help fin whales see prey when rolling to feed on their right side — though the exact reason is not fully confirmed.

## Are fin whales dangerous?
Fin Whales are not generally dangerous to people. The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, reaching 25 m (82 ft) and 70 tonnes with an asymmetric jaw colouring. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

## How long do fin whales live?
Fin Whales typically live 80–90 years. The fin whale is the second-largest animal on Earth after the blue whale, reaching 25 m (82 ft) and 70 tonnes with an asymmetric jaw colouring. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.

## What do fin whales eat?
Mainly krill in cold waters and small schooling fish such as herring and sand lance, filtered through baleen.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/catfish): Channel Catfish — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The channel catfish is one of the most popular sport and farmed fish in North America, recognised by barbels ('whiskers'), smooth scaleless skin, and a forked tail. Native to central and eastern rivers and lakes, it grows to 10–25 kg (22–55 lb), tastes mild, and uses taste buds across its body to find food.

## Introduction
The channel catfish is one of the most popular sport and farmed fish in North America, recognised by barbels ('whiskers'), smooth scaleless skin, and a forked tail. Native to central and eastern rivers and lakes, it grows to 10–25 kg (22–55 lb), tastes mild, and uses taste buds across its body to find food.

## Takeaway
Channel catfish have four pairs of barbels around the mouth plus taste buds covering the body — especially the whiskers — allowing them to locate food in murky water at night.

## Takeaway
Sharp spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins can lock in place and inject mild venom, deterring predators and unwary anglers.

## Takeaway
Channel catfish are the top farmed fish species in the United States, raised in ponds across the South for food markets.

## Barbels and taste
Channel catfish have four pairs of barbels around the mouth plus taste buds covering the body — especially the whiskers — allowing them to locate food in murky water at night. They are opportunistic bottom feeders eating insects, crayfish, small fish, and plant matter.

## Spines and defence
Sharp spines in the dorsal and pectoral fins can lock in place and inject mild venom, deterring predators and unwary anglers. Handling from below and using lip grips reduces sting risk. Spines also help catfish lock into crevices.

## Aquaculture and sport fishing
Channel catfish are the top farmed fish species in the United States, raised in ponds across the South for food markets. Anglers target them with stink baits, chicken liver, and cut bait — they fight hard and tolerate low oxygen better than many game fish.

## Range and introductions
Native from southern Canada through the Great Lakes and Mississippi basin to Mexico, channel catfish have been stocked widely for fishing and farming. They can outcompete native species where introduced outside their range, requiring careful management.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated channel catfish programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The channel catfish is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the channel catfish supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/catfish): Channel Catfish — wildlife guide.

## Are catfish whiskers dangerous?
The barbels are harmless feelers. The danger comes from sharp fin spines that can puncture skin — not from the whiskers themselves.

## What do channel catfish eat?
Almost anything on the bottom — insects, worms, crayfish, small fish, and plant material. They hunt mainly at night using taste and smell.

## How big do channel catfish get?
Most caught fish are 1–5 kg, but large river fish can exceed 20 kg. The record is over 25 kg.

## Can catfish sting you?
Fin spines can puncture and cause pain and swelling from mild venom. Handle carefully or use pliers to remove hooks.

## Where are channel catfish found?
Native to central and eastern North America; farmed and stocked in ponds across the United States and introduced in Europe and elsewhere.

## Where do channel catfish live?
Channel Catfish live in Rivers, lakes, and ponds of North America; widely farmed. The channel catfish is one of the most popular sport and farmed fish in North America, recognised by barbels ('whiskers'), smooth scaleless skin, and a forked tail.

## How long do channel catfish live?
Channel Catfish typically live 10–15 years in the wild (longer in captivity). The channel catfish is one of the most popular sport and farmed fish in North America, recognised by barbels ('whiskers'), smooth scaleless skin, and a forked tail. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/javan-rhino): Javan Rhino — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia. Smaller than the Indian rhino at 900–2,300 kg (2,000–5,000 lb), it has a single horn and nearly hairless grey skin, and is Critically Endangered from historic hunting and tiny range.

## Introduction
The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia. Smaller than the Indian rhino at 900–2,300 kg (2,000–5,000 lb), it has a single horn and nearly hairless grey skin, and is Critically Endangered from historic hunting and tiny range.

## Takeaway
All surviving Javan rhinos live in Ujung Kulon National Park at the western tip of Java — a peninsula isolated by the 1883 Krakatau eruption and tsunami.

## Takeaway
Unlike grass-grazing white rhinos, Javan rhinos browse woody vegetation in dense rainforest, using a pointed upper lip to strip shoots and fallen fruit.

## Takeaway
With fewer than 80 individuals, the Javan rhino is the rarest large mammal on Earth.

## Last population on Java
All surviving Javan rhinos live in Ujung Kulon National Park at the western tip of Java — a peninsula isolated by the 1883 Krakatau eruption and tsunami. No Javan rhinos remain in their former range across Southeast Asia, Vietnam, or India.

## Forest browser
Unlike grass-grazing white rhinos, Javan rhinos browse woody vegetation in dense rainforest, using a pointed upper lip to strip shoots and fallen fruit. They follow regular trails through undergrowth and wallow in mud to cool and deter insects.

## Extreme rarity
With fewer than 80 individuals, the Javan rhino is the rarest large mammal on Earth. The last Javan rhino in Vietnam was poached in 2010. Every birth in Ujung Kulon is monitored by camera traps — the population is too small to survive a disease outbreak or natural disaster.

## Recovery challenges
Plans to establish a second population on Java or elsewhere have progressed slowly due to habitat requirements, tsunami risk at Ujung Kulon, and the invasive Arenga palm crowding out rhino food plants. Anti-poaching success means natural threats now dominate.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated javan rhino programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The javan rhino faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the javan rhino supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/javan-rhino): Javan Rhino — wildlife guide.

## How many Javan rhinos are left?
Roughly 70–75 individuals, all in Ujung Kulon National Park on Java, Indonesia — the rarest rhino species and one of the rarest mammals on Earth.

## Javan rhino vs Indian rhino?
Javan rhinos are smaller, nearly hairless, and have a single horn. Indian (greater one-horned) rhinos are larger with armour-like skin folds and number over 4,000 in India and Nepal.

## Why are Javan rhinos Critically Endangered?
Historic hunting for horn and habitat loss eliminated them across Asia. The entire species now depends on one small park vulnerable to tsunami, disease, and invasive plants.

## Do Javan rhinos have two horns?
Usually one horn, rarely two — unlike African rhinos which typically have two horns (though black rhinos also have one primary horn).

## What do javan rhinos eat?
Javan Rhinos eat Herbivore — shoots, twigs, fallen fruit, and leaves. The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia.

## Where do javan rhinos live?
Javan Rhinos live in Dense tropical rainforest and tall grass in lowland Java. The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia.

## Are javan rhinos dangerous?
Javan Rhinos are not generally dangerous to people. The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

## How long do javan rhinos live?
Javan Rhinos typically live 30–45 years in the wild. The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.

## How big is a javan rhino?
A Javan Rhino is about 30–45 years in the wild. The Javan rhinoceros is the rarest of all rhino species, with roughly 70 individuals surviving in a single national park on Java, Indonesia. Conservation status: Critically Endangered (IUCN).


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/bass): Largemouth Bass — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
The largemouth bass is a top predator in North American lakes and rivers, named for a jaw extending past the eye. Prized by anglers worldwide, it strikes lures aggressively, grows to 10 kg (22 lb) in rich waters, and has been stocked on every continent except Antarctica for sport fishing.

## Introduction
The largemouth bass is a top predator in North American lakes and rivers, named for a jaw extending past the eye. Prized by anglers worldwide, it strikes lures aggressively, grows to 10 kg (22 lb) in rich waters, and has been stocked on every continent except Antarctica for sport fishing.

## Takeaway
Largemouth bass hide among lily pads, fallen timber, and weed beds, exploding forward to engulf prey with a cavernous mouth that gives the species its name.

## Takeaway
Male bass build and defend circular nests in shallow gravel or sand during spring.

## Takeaway
Bass tournaments across the United States draw millions of participants and television audiences.

## Ambush predator
Largemouth bass hide among lily pads, fallen timber, and weed beds, exploding forward to engulf prey with a cavernous mouth that gives the species its name. They are visual hunters, striking artificial lures that mimic wounded minnows, frogs, and worms.

## Nest guarding males
Male bass build and defend circular nests in shallow gravel or sand during spring. They fan silt away, guard eggs against sunfish and crayfish, and protect fry for days after hatching — one of the most dedicated parental behaviours among popular game fish.

## Global sport fishing icon
Bass tournaments across the United States draw millions of participants and television audiences. Stocking programmes introduced largemouth bass to Japan, South Africa, and Europe, where they sometimes disrupt native fish communities in warm still waters.

## Management and ecology
Native and Least Concern in North America, largemouth bass regulate populations of smaller fish and crayfish. Fisheries managers adjust size and bag limits to maintain trophy fisheries. Invasive where introduced outside their native warm-water range.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated largemouth bass programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The largemouth bass is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the largemouth bass supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/bass): Largemouth Bass — wildlife guide.

## How big do largemouth bass get?
Most angler catches are 1–3 kg, but fish over 5 kg are trophies and the world record exceeds 10 kg from a California reservoir.

## What do largemouth bass eat?
Fish, crayfish, frogs, insects, and even small birds or mice near the surface — opportunistic predators that prefer live prey.

## Where are largemouth bass native?
Eastern and central North America from southern Canada through the Great Lakes and Mississippi basin to Florida and northeastern Mexico.

## Largemouth vs smallmouth bass?
Largemouth have a jaw extending past the eye and prefer weedy warm water. Smallmouth bass have a jaw that stops at the eye and favour clearer, cooler rocky streams and lakes.

## Are largemouth bass good to eat?
Yes — firm white flesh is popular in the American South, though catch-and-release sport fishing dominates in many trophy fisheries.

## Where do largemouth bass live?
Largemouth Bass live in Warm lakes, ponds, reservoirs, and slow rivers with cover. The largemouth bass is a top predator in North American lakes and rivers, named for a jaw extending past the eye.

## Are largemouth bass dangerous?
Prized by anglers worldwide, it strikes lures aggressively, grows to 10 kg (22 lb) in rich waters, and has been stocked on every continent except Antarctica for sport fishing. Give wild largemouth bass space; do not corner or handle them.

## How long do largemouth bass live?
Largemouth Bass typically live 10–16 years in the wild. The largemouth bass is a top predator in North American lakes and rivers, named for a jaw extending past the eye. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cod): Atlantic Cod — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
Atlantic cod is a cold-water groundfish that shaped the economies of Newfoundland, Iceland, and New England for centuries before overfishing collapsed many stocks. Growing to 40 kg (88 lb) and living 25 years, it supports fisheries where recovered and remains Vulnerable in the northwest Atlantic.

## Introduction
Atlantic cod is a cold-water groundfish that shaped the economies of Newfoundland, Iceland, and New England for centuries before overfishing collapsed many stocks. Growing to 40 kg (88 lb) and living 25 years, it supports fisheries where recovered and remains Vulnerable in the northwest Atlantic.

## Takeaway
Northwest Atlantic cod stocks crashed in 1992 when Canada's Grand Banks fishery closed — one of history's most famous fishery collapses after centuries of seemingly unlimited harvest.

## Takeaway
A whisker-like barbel on the chin helps cod detect prey on the seafloor — worms, crabs, and smaller fish.

## Takeaway
Fish and chips, bacalao, and lutefisk all depend on cod.

## Historic fishery collapse
Northwest Atlantic cod stocks crashed in 1992 when Canada's Grand Banks fishery closed — one of history's most famous fishery collapses after centuries of seemingly unlimited harvest. Recovery has been partial and slow, illustrating how even prolific species can be depleted.

## Barbel and bottom feeding
A whisker-like barbel on the chin helps cod detect prey on the seafloor — worms, crabs, and smaller fish. Cod migrate between shallow spawning grounds and deeper feeding areas, historically forming dense shoals that made them easy targets for trawlers.

## Cultural and culinary importance
Fish and chips, bacalao, and lutefisk all depend on cod. Basque and Viking fishermen pursued cod across the Atlantic for centuries before modern industrial trawling. Cod liver oil supplied vitamin D to generations of children.

## Modern management
Listed Vulnerable, Atlantic cod fisheries are now regulated with quotas, closed areas, and gear restrictions. Icelandic and Northeast Arctic stocks are healthier than Northwest Atlantic populations. Climate change shifts spawning grounds northward, complicating recovery.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated atlantic cod programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The atlantic cod faces documented conservation pressure in the wild, which is why clear, sourced public information about it matters. Building public understanding of species like the atlantic cod supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/cod): Atlantic Cod — wildlife guide.

## Why did cod collapse?
Decades of industrial trawling removed fish faster than they could reproduce, combined with poor management and environmental shifts — the 1992 moratorium on Canada's Grand Banks is the landmark example.

## Is cod still overfished?
Some stocks remain depleted or Vulnerable, especially in the northwest Atlantic. Northeast Atlantic and Icelandic fisheries are more sustainable under strict quotas.

## What is bacalao?
Salted and dried cod — a staple of Portuguese, Spanish, and Caribbean cuisine preserved for centuries before refrigeration.

## How big do Atlantic cod get?
Typically 2–8 kg in fisheries, but individuals can exceed 40 kg and live 25 years in unfished populations.

## Where do Atlantic cod live?
Cold waters of the North Atlantic from North America to Greenland, Iceland, Norway, and the Barents Sea — on continental shelves and banks.

## What do atlantic cods eat?
Atlantic Cods eat Carnivore — fish, crustaceans, and worms. Atlantic cod is a cold-water groundfish that shaped the economies of Newfoundland, Iceland, and New England for centuries before overfishing collapsed many stocks.

## Are atlantic cods dangerous?
Atlantic Cods are not generally dangerous to people. Atlantic cod is a cold-water groundfish that shaped the economies of Newfoundland, Iceland, and New England for centuries before overfishing collapsed many stocks. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

## How long do atlantic cods live?
Atlantic Cods typically live Up to 25 years in the wild. Atlantic cod is a cold-water groundfish that shaped the economies of Newfoundland, Iceland, and New England for centuries before overfishing collapsed many stocks. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.


World Animal Rescue Network (https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/canary): Canary — wildlife guide.

## One-line answer
Canaries are domesticated songbirds descended from wild Atlantic canaries of the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores. Bred for centuries for colour and song, they weigh 15–25 g (0.5–0.9 oz) and are kept in millions of households — while wild populations on their native islands remain Least Concern.

## Introduction
Canaries are domesticated songbirds descended from wild Atlantic canaries of the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores. Bred for centuries for colour and song, they weigh 15–25 g (0.5–0.9 oz) and are kept in millions of households — while wild populations on their native islands remain Least Concern.

## Takeaway
Spanish and European breeders selected canaries for song quality from the 1500s onward, producing roller, timbrado, and American singer varieties with distinct melodies.

## Takeaway
Wild Serinus canaria on the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores are streaky greenish-yellow finches of open woodland and coast.

## Takeaway
Canaries were used in British coal mines until 1986 to detect carbon monoxide — birds succumb to toxic gas faster than humans, giving miners warning to evacuate.

## Domestication for song
Spanish and European breeders selected canaries for song quality from the 1500s onward, producing roller, timbrado, and American singer varieties with distinct melodies. Male canaries sing to defend territory and attract mates — hens chirp but typically do not produce elaborate song.

## Wild Atlantic canary
Wild Serinus canaria on the Canary Islands, Madeira, and the Azores are streaky greenish-yellow finches of open woodland and coast. They were trapped and exported until captive breeding supplanted wild collection. Island populations remain secure.

## Coal mine sentinel
Canaries were used in British coal mines until 1986 to detect carbon monoxide — birds succumb to toxic gas faster than humans, giving miners warning to evacuate. The phrase 'canary in a coal mine' now means an early warning indicator for any danger.

## Modern pet care
Pet canaries need spacious cages, varied seed diet with fresh greens, and safe flying time. Colour-fed red factors require dietary carotenoids. They are hardy but sensitive to drafts, fumes, and sudden diet changes — popular beginner birds when basic needs are met.

## WARN work
WARN does not run a dedicated canary programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The canary is a domesticated animal rather than a wild-rescue species, but understanding its needs supports responsible animal welfare. Building public understanding of species like the canary supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

## Donation hook
If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.