Page 73 - World of Animals - Issue #31

A to Z
A t
o Z
A B B B

An aurora of

polar bears A business of ferrets
ss
b
A business of ferrets
u
e
sin
Polar bears trekking across Originally referred to as a ‘besynes’ of ferrets in 1486, this has roots
the snow at nightfall are often in hunting and has changed over the years to a business of ferrets to
illuminated with the dancing reflect their busy and frenetic nature.

colours of the Aurora Borealis,
the name given to the Northern A bale of turtles
Lights, across the night sky. Polar
bears are mostly diurnal, active
at dawn and dusk, and Aurora, A barrel of monkeys
meaning dawn, was the Roman
goddess of the morning.
An ambush of tigers A band of gorillas
C also very useful for nest construction. D

A circus of puffi ns

Puffins are affectionately known as the clowns

of the sea, and it’s easy to see why. Their
distinctive facial markings and bright orange
beaks are mainly used for courtship. During
breeding season their beaks are much more
vivid in colour and even bigger in size. Not only
do these beaks resemble a clown’s nose, they’re

A dongle
of hoatzin

The hoatzin is perhaps one of
the strangest birds out there. The
chicks have two large claws on
each wing, which they use with
their feet to scramble around
the branches of their birth tree,
giving the appearance that they
have four legs. The juveniles
eventually lose this ability as
the claws fall off and the limbs

flatten, transforming into wings.

a
r
b
An embarrassment
em
r
en
t
m
a
ss
of pandas
The loveable clown Anyone who has watched endless
Anyone who has watched endless
Atlantic puffins gather together and socialising with each other in panda videos on the internet will

panda videos on the internet will
in large colonies on the cliffs. large groups. If you look closely probably agree that they appear to
probably agree that they appear to
Their courtship begins on the there may also be some ‘billing’ be endearingly clumsy. Pandas are
be endearingly clumsy. Pandas are
water, carefully selecting a mate going on, where a pair rubs their usually solitary animals that prefer
usually solitary animals that prefer

peace and quiet, so the only time
for when they make it to land. beaks together like a puffin kiss, peace and quiet, so the only time
you will see an embarrassment of
Up on the cliff tops, they start usually much to the interest of all you will see an embarrassment of
pandas in the wild is in breeding

out by ‘loafing’, casually loitering the surrounding individuals. pandas in the wild is in breeding
E season and at birth.
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