A cracker butterfly rests on the leaf of a plant George D Lepp Corbis
Familiar Animals TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 3 PEOPLE PLEASERS Cats The Tiger in Your House 6 Cattle Most Valuable Creatures on Earth 8 Dogs The Loyal Companions 10 Donkeys Beasts of Burden 12 Horses Strong and Graceful Animal Friends 14 Pigs Smarties with Dirty Faces 16 Sheep Follow the Leader 18 BIRDS AND BUGS Birds Birds of a Feather 20 Eagles Riders of the Wind 22 Kingfishers Laugh Kookaburra 24 Owls The Nighttime Hunters 26 Parrots and Cockatoos Bright Colors and Brilliant Whites 28 Peacocks Proud Birds 30 Insects The World’s Largest Population 32 Ants Insect Castle Builders 34 Bees Inside the Hive 36 Butterflies and Moths Fly by Day Fly by Night 38 Cockroaches Indestructible Insect 40 Crickets The Wing-Singers 42 Grasshoppers Garden-Variety Hoppers 44 Mosquitoes An Itchy Situation 46 BEASTS OF FIELD AND FOREST Bison Majestic American Beasts 48 Coyotes Howling at the Moon 50 Lizards Cousins of the Dinosaurs 52 Monkeys Cute Clowns and Big Bullies 54 Rabbits and Hares Long Ears and Strong Legs 56 Raccoons Masked Bandits 58 Snakes Legless Wonders 60 GLOSSARY 62 INDEX 63 Britannica LEARNING LIBRARY
DID YOU KNOW If you've ever been licked by a cat then you know cats have rough tongues They all do This is because their tongues are covered with little sharp edged pockets The pockets help them lick up water and groom their fur
CATS The Tiger in Your House If a cat lives with you you have a member of a proud sometimes fierce family as a pet A tiger is a cat So are lions leopards and cheetahs Jaguars lynx and pumas are cats too SEARCH LIGHT What’s one All cats have five toes on their front paws and four on their back paws They have long sharp claws They use their claws for climbing trees catching food and protecting themselves against other animals All cats but the cheetah can move their claws in and out thing that house cats have in common with lions How are they different All cats purr making a low continuous rattling hum The purr is a relaxing self-comforting self-comforting sound that can signal a friendly mood Many cats also meow though big cats such as lions and tigers roar Most cats don’t like to go in water but they can all swim if they have to Cats can hear even faraway things And they can see at night when it’s very dark They are also among the fastest animals As a matter of fact the cheetah can run faster than any other animal but only for a short distance Though domestic cats are usually fed by their owners cats naturally get their food by hunting Pet cat being cuddled Jose Luis Pelaez Inc Corbis They’ll eat anything from mice to zebras depending on how big a cat they are Some will eat fish clams and snails When house cats play with string and small toys they’re displaying their ancient family hunting instinct Cats have existed on the Earth for a very long time The people of Egypt were the first to keep cats as pets They gave them milk in gold saucers and made statues of cats When cats died they were often buried in special graveyards or even made into mummies LEARN MORE READ THESE ARTICLES BIRDS DOGS RABBITS AND HARES The domestic cat house cat is one of the most popular house pets In ancient Thailand cats lived in kings castles Craig Lovell Corbis live in your house Lions are too big and too wild to be a pet have five toes on their front feet and are very quick But cats can Answer Both lions and house cats eat meat They also both purr 7
