Zoo Guide

Make your next visit to the zoo more than just fun—make it factual and fascinating too! You could even start a personal “creation zoo tours” ministry. Featuring more than 100 animals, our long-awaited Zoo Guide includes beautiful pictures and explores the amazing facts and design features that point to our awesome Creator. Excellent gift for any one who loves animals!

Contents

• Supplemental material for the Zoo Guide: A Bible-Based Handbook to the Zoo

  Supplemental material for the Zoo Guide

• Arctic Fox

  

  pp. 15–16

  The arctic fox is also known as the polar fox or the white fox. The arctic fox is distinctive because of its furred paws.

• Brown Bear

  

  pp. 27–28

  The brown bear has small ears and high shoulders. It can range in color from cinnamon to almost black. It is also known as the Kodiak bear.

• Camel

  pp. 31–32

  The most prominent difference between the Bactrian and Dromedary camels is their humps.

• Ferret

  

  pp. 39–40

  The ferret has a long, flexible body, short limbs, and a good set of teeth.

• Giant Panda

  

  pp. 43–44

  The panda is known for its distinct black and white coloring. The eyes, ears, arms, legs, and shoulders are all black while the rest of the body is white.

• Gray Wolf

  

  pp. 49–50

  Gray wolves can vary in color from white to dark gray based on where they are found.

• Koala

  pp. 57–58

  The koala has dense fur that is colored from gray to a reddish-brown. The pouch opens in the rear and extends upward and forward.

• Meerkat

  

  pp. 63–64

  The meerkat is a member of the mongoose family and is recognized for its long, thin body.

• Moose

  

  pp. 67–68

  The moose is the largest member of the deer family and is known for its tremendous antlers, which occur only on the bulls.

• Polar Bear

  

  pp. 75–76

  The polar bears are known for what appears to be their pure white fur and its massive size. Polar bears are the largest of the bear kind.

• Reindeer

  

  pp. 81–82

  Caribou and reindeer are the same species, reindeer being a domesticated, smaller variety or caribou and classified scientifically as a subspecies.

• Rhinoceros

  pp. 83–84

  Rhinos have either one or two horns on its heads, which are used in fighting with other rhinos and for protection against predators.

• Walrus

  pp. 97–98

  The walrus is known for its large size and pink–reddish brown coloring. It is also easily recognized by its large tusks.

• Yak

  pp. 107–108

  The yak has blackish brown hair that covers the entire body and tail. It also has large, curving horns.

• Andean Condor

  pp. 111–112

  The condor has weak feet that are used more for walking than clutching food. Feathers are absent from most of its head and neck.

• Bald Eagle

  

  pp. 113–114

  The term bald eagle comes from the word “balde,” which in Old English means “white.” This species is known for its white head and tail and its dark brown body.

• Macaw

  

  pp. 137–138

  Macaws are known for their large, curved beaks; loud, squawking calls; and bright, bold colors.

• Peregrine Falcon

  

  pp. 145–146

  The adult peregrine has bluish gray wings, a pale underbelly, and a black head.

• Snowy Owl

  

  pp. 151–152

  The snowy owl is more agile than other owls and is able to capture birds while in flight.

• Wild Turkey

  pp. 159–160

  The trukey is known for its round body, fan-shaped tail, long neck, and large size.

• Bobcat

  

  pp. 161–162

  The bobcat can be distinguished from other cats by its ear tufts and ruffs of hair on the sides its face.

• Cheetah

  

  pp. 163–164

  The cheetah is known by its distinct spots and white patches on its stomach. Its spots are round or oval and usually measure about an inch in diameter.

• Tiger

  

  pp. 173–174

  Tigers are easily distinguished from other large cats by their black stripes against their orange and tan backgrounds and white underbellies.

• Ring-tailed Lemur

  

  pp. 185–186

  The ring-tailed lemur is recognized by its long tail with distinctive black and white bands, which are unique among all the lemurs.

• Chameleon

  

  pp. 195–196

  The chameleon is distinctly different from other lizards.

• Crocodile

  

  pp. 201–202

  The crocodile is larger than the alligator and has a longer, more narrow snout. It has a streamlined body and webbed feet, which make it an efficient swimmer.

• Inland Bearded Dragon

  

  pp. 207–208

  This species is called “bearded” because the throat has a region that is flared when it is angry or excited, giving it a beard-like appearance.

• Komodo Dragon

  

  pp. 211–212

  It is the world’s largest lizard, out of over 3,000 lizard species. The adult Komodo dragon is mostly green, gray, or black with white or yellow patches.

• Poison Dart Frog

  

  pp. 215–216

  The different species vary in color and size. Most species are bright orange, yellow, green, or red.

• Rattlesnake

  

  pp. 217–218

  The most prominent feature of the rattlesnake is the rattle at the end of the tail. This rattle is made of a hard substance called keratin.

• Porcupine

  

  The porcupine does not throw its quills, but it uses its strong tail to push its quills into an attacker.

• Okapi

  The unusual appearance of the okapi provides this animal with excellent camouflage in the forests.

• Prairie Dog

  Prairie dogs live together in large groups called towns.

• Striped Skunk

  

  Originally the skunk kind did not use its musk to protect itself from its enemies because it had no enemies.

• Tasmanian Devil

  The Tasmanian devil is the scavenger of the forest, eating left-over carcasses and other dead animals.

• Wallaby

  

  If the wallaby didn’t have such a long, thick tail, it would probably fall over on its nose.

• Warthog

  

  The warts on this animal actually protect its face during attack.

• Sloth

  

  Both species of sloth have long forearms and strong hind limbs.

• Spotted Hyena

  Some consider the hyena to be the link between cats and dogs, but this is not true.

• Wildebeest

  Less than an hour after birth, a young wildebeest can keep up with the herd.

• Wolverine

  The wolverine is specifically designed for cold, snowy habitats.

• Wombat

  The wombat is designed with powerful legs and extremely strong claws, which it uses for efficient digging and feeding.

• Zebra

  

  The stripes of a zebra are designed to give it protection from predators.

• Cockatiel

  The cockatiel has a sharply bent beak, which is perfectly designed for eating seeds and berries.

• Demoiselle Crane

  This bird like many others will pretend to be injured in order to lure predators away from its nest.

• Emu

  The emu is designed to cope well with the extreme temperatures of its habitat.

• Finch

  The finch has been used by many to support the doctrine of evolution.

• Greater Roadrunner

  

  The greater roadrunner has a dark brown, streaked appearance with lighter brown on its breast.

• Humboldt Penguin

  The humboldt penguin has claws on the toes of its webbed feet.

• Ostrich

  

  Because of the desert environment where the ostrich lives, it has the ability to store enough water to go for months without drinking.

• Peafowl

  The tail feathers of the peafowl are used to attract a mate and to ward off enemies.

• Pileated Woodpecker

  The woodpecker is designed with small tufts of feathers covering its nostrils.

• Jaguar

  

  To catch fish, the jaguar will attract them by tapping the surface of the water with its tail.

• Baboon

  

  Baboons are social animals. They live in large groups called troops.

• White-tailed Ptarmigan

  The white-tailed ptarmigan molts twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall.

• Trumpeter Swan

  

  The trumpeter swan is known for its white plumage and black bill.

• Leopard

  

  After killing its prey, the leopard may drag the carcass up a tree to keep it from being eaten by other predators.

• Lion

  

  Lions live in groups called prides.

• Chimpanzee

  

  Chimpanzees have recently been classified in the same family as humans; however, they are two very different and separate creatures.

• Gorilla

  

  The gorilla’s arms are extremely long, enabling it to walk on all four limbs while keeping its head up.

• Ball Python

  

  Ball pythons get their name because they defend themselves by curling up into a tight ball and hiding their faces.

• Orangutans

  

  The orangutans has powerful hands and arms but weak feet.

• Marmoset

  

  Younger marmosets will help care for the young of others in their group while waiting to establish families of their own.

• White-Cheeked Gibbon

  

  The white-cheeked gibbon has extremely dense fur, which protects it from the rain of its habitat.

• Alligator

  

  The American alligator has vertical pupils in its eyes.

• Cottonmouth

  

  Since the cottonmouth spends much of its time in the water, it needs to bask in the sun throughout the day to maintain a constant body temperature.

• Galápagos Tortoise

  

  The shell of the tortoise is not solid; it is made of hollow structures that are like air chambers.

• King Cobra

  

  When the king cobra is scared or excited, it spreads the loose skin on its neck into the shape of a “hood.”

• Northern Coral Snake

  

  From the tip of its snout to just behind the eye, the head of the Northern coral snake is black.

• Beaver

  

  Most beaver species are recognized by the large flat, paddle-shaped tail.

• Giraffe

  

  The unique design of its lungs, heart, and capillaries all play vital roles in the giraffe’s survival.

• Tokay Gecko

  

  The Tokay Gecko is a fascinating creature made by God.

• Boa Constrictor

  

  The boa constrictor has a strong tail that can cling to tree branches, enabling it to swing by its tail from a tree and swat a bird from the air.

• Elephant

  

  Since the elephant uses its trunk for numerous reasons, God designed it with over 100,000 muscle units.

• Black Bear

  

  God designed the female black bear with something called “delayed implantation,” when her fertilized eggs do not begin to develop until the fall.

• Coyote

  

  A coyote will sometimes hunt larger prey with other coyotes and with badgers.

• Bat

  

  Bats are the only truly flying mammals and are in an order all their own.

• Great Horned Owl

  

  The great horned owl is mostly nocturnal, hunting and eating during the night and sleeping during the day.

• Cougar

  

  A cougar cannot roar; it has a unique scream.

• Armadillo

  Since the armadillo is almost blind, God equipped it with an excellent sense of smell and good hearing so it can locate food and escape predators.

• Osprey

  

  The osprey was created by God during creation week.

• Antelope

  The hooves of the antelope vary greatly between species.

• California Sea Lion

  Sea lions use a system of echolocation to navigate while underwater and to find food.

• Badger

  Badgers eat many small mammals and pests that can quickly overpopulate areas.

• Llama

  The llama has a long, graceful neck and a relatively small head with large eyes and ears.

• Gila Monster

  

  The Gila monster has the ability to consume large amounts of food at one time.

• Common Snapping Turtle

  

  The snapping turtle is known as a scavenger.

• Great Blue Heron

  The long legs of a heron allow it to effectively fish in the wetland areas where it lives.

• Hummingbird

  Hummingbirds are known for their long bills, dazzling colors, and speedy wings.

• Rabbit

  

  Even secular biologists claim that rabbits are hardly different from the earliest rabbit fossils.

• Toco Toucan

  The body plumage of the Toco toucan is black with a white patch on its throat.

• Dingo

  

  The dingo is commonly referred to as a wild dog.

• Grant’s Gazelle

  The belly of the gazelle is the perfect color to reflect the heat of the sun’s rays away from the body.

• Hippopotamus

  Hippos are very neighborly.

• Jackal

  

  Jackals help keep the numbers of vermin down, such as rodents and insects, which eat crops.

• Kangaroo

  Kangaroos like to box. Young kangaroos do this as play while adult males use this action to show dominance.

• Giant Anteater

  The anteater is important to the area where it lives.

• Mole

  The claws of the mole are specifically designed to tear through and remove dirt.

• North American Elk

  

  This species is often called “wapiti,” which is a Shawnee word meaning “white rump.”