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Animal Facts from The Tiger and the Wind
- Ben is a Bengal tiger. Tigers live in the forests of India, Nepal and Bangladesh, and in the foothills of the Himalayas.
- The Himalayan mountain range stretches along the border of at least six countries, including India and China. It has nine out of the ten highest mountains in the world. That’s why when Ben goes searching for the wind, he can climb to the top of the world.
- On his journey, Ben’s fur keeps him warm. Ben’s fur is one of the things that makes him a mammal. Another thing that makes him a mammal is that when he was a baby, his mother nursed him with milk.
- Scientists put animals like Ben and his friends into groups based on how alike they are. They give names to each group (usually Latin names) to help keep them organized.
- Tigers are in the genus panthera. If you have a house cat in your family, it belongs to the genus felis.
- Other cats that share a group with the tiger are the lion, leopard, and jaguar. They are sometimes called Great Cats. They are the only cats that can roar.
- Ben’s great cousin is a Siberian tiger. Bengal and Siberian tigers belong to the same species, but they have some important differences in their appearance.
- Tigers like Ben have fur that ranges in color from light yellow or light orange to reddish yellow with dark brown or black stripes. The Bengal tiger is called Panthera tigris tigris.
- The Siberian tiger has a coat that blends with the snowy landscape. Siberian tigers are pale orange, and the stripes are brown, and spaced farther apart. To help this tiger stay warm in the mountains, he has a ruff of white fur around his neck, like the collar of a warm coat. Siberian tigers are called Panthera tigris altaica, and they live in the woodlands of eastern Russia and northeastern China.
- Here is Ben’s scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Species: Panthera tigris
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Carnivora
Family: Felidae
Subfamily: Pantherinae
Genus: Panthera
Species: Panthera tigris
- On his journey, Ben meets a serpent. Serpents (or snakes) are animals, but they are in a class known as Reptiles.
- Mammals, like Ben, are warm-blooded, but Reptiles, like the serpent, are cold-blooded.
- Ben can stay warm even when it’s cold outside, and his fur is a big help. Warm-blooded mammals try to keep their body at the same temperature on the inside, whether it’s hot or cold outside.
- Cold-blooded animals can’t do that. When it’s cold outside, their bodies get very cold. That’s why they like to curl up in the sun to stay warm.
- Ben also meets a Bearded Vulture, which belongs to a class called Aves. From wingtip to wingtip, these big birds can span more than seven feet across. They have bristles, like sharp whiskers, under the chin. Some Bearded Vultures live in the Himalayas.
- Tigers and Bearded Vultures are both endangered species. That means they are in danger of becoming extinct. When an animal goes extinct, there are no more left, and the species disappears.
- It’s important to help endangered species by protecting their habitat – making sure they have a place to live – and by keeping them safe. Some scientists are trained to help animals breed and have babies, to save them from becoming extinct.
- Lots of people and organizations help animals in different ways. The World Wildlife Fund is working to protect the diversity of plants and animals, and their habitats, all over the world.
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Poetry Connection
River LullabyFlowing through the forest
Gurgling on the ground Falling from the rock face With a happy sound Rushing in the streambed Splashing on the rocks I wish I knew its language When the river talks Frozen in the winter When it builds a bridge Melting for the flowers That grow along the ridge I wish I knew the song That the waters sing I wish I understood Its secret whispering Some day when I’m older Some day when I’m wise I’ll go and find the spring Where the waters rise I’ll go down to the shore Where the river meets the sea And I’ll ask the mighty water If it will talk to me Flowing through the forest Gurgling on the ground Falling from the rock face With a happy sound Rushing in the streambed Splashing on the rocks I wish I knew its language When the river talks And someday I will sit Beside it on a rock And water will surround me With its bright, wet talk And it will be a story Spoken just for me I’ll lie down by the river When the water sings to me. |
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