North and South America

North and South America book cover — FACTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS THE WORLD OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA BROWN BEAR BOOKS

North and South America — page 1 — Habitats Threats and Conservation E very major kind of environment can be found in the Americas from icy Arctic wastes to hot and humid rain forests Since different habitats provide food and shelter for different kinds species of animals this variety means that a huge range of species lives in North and South America from top predators such as gray wolves and American alligators to tiny hummingbirds frogs and invertebrates While it is true to say that the landscapes of the Americas still support thousands of species many are threatened by changes in land use especially the clearance of large areas of forest and the conversion of natural grasslands to agriculture Human disturbance of sensitive animals for example marine turtles on the Mexican beaches where they lay their eggs is also a problem And pollution caused by oil spills such as those off the Galápagos Islands and in the Gulf of Mexico kill animals and damage ocean environments However most governments now take measures to protect their wildlife and have established protected areas where development is restricted Varied Habitats In the far north much of Alaska and northern Canada is covered with tiny shrubs and herbs this landscape is called tundra Despite cold temperatures and limited sun for much of the year it supports many breeding birds They arrive from warmer regions in spring to breed when there is an abundance of insect life to eat before departing in fall Mammals such as polar bears caribou and musk oxen also live there Coastal waters provide feeding for walruses and whales Further south there are vast areas of coniferous forest called taiga which are home to grizzly bears elk and deer in addition to grouse owls and many other birds In the eastern United States large tracts of deciduous forest remain Red foxes gray wolves flying squirrels and millions of song birds live in these forests Some of these animals need large areas of unbroken woodland and these species have declined as forest has been broken up by highways and other 4 developments To the west the Great Plains stretch for hundreds of miles to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains These grasslands shortgrass prairie in the west and tallgrass prairie farther east were once home to huge numbers of American buffalo or bison but large-scale hunting in the late 19th century reduced the population of these large mammals from more than 60 million to just a few thousand Protection in preserves has since allowed their numbers to increase but to nowhere near their former status Much of the natural grassland of the Great Plains has been plowed for agriculture However the Great Plains still have more than 80 species of mammals including black tailed prairie dogs 450 different kinds of birds 57 species of snakes lizards and turtles and some 15,000 insect species In the southwest United States and northern Mexico huge dry deserts such as the Mojave Chihuahua and Sonora are important for many reptiles birds and even amphibians that are able to take advantage of occasional rain The mountainous spine of Central America running from Mexico to Panama was once covered by mostly damp forest which supported a great variety of animal life especially amphibians and birds but also monkeys bears and other mammals Much of this forest has

North and South America

North and South America

North and South America's animals, their routines, region, data panels such as population, endangered status, habitat change, and more.

About This Book

By: Tim Harris

Illustrated by:

Published by: Brown Bear Books by Black Rabbit Books

9-12Age Range

7.5+AR

62Pages

Wild ThingsSubject

1150LLexile

1-2 hoursReading Time

ZGuided Reading

ZFountas & Pinnell

80DRA

0

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