Nine-banded armadillo

Scientific name:Dasypus novemcinctus

Fact: The Nine-banded armadillo uses its sharp claws for digging and not defending its self.

length: Body up to 32 inches and the tail up to 14 inches

Weight:12-15 pounds
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Lifespan:12-15 years

Natural habitat: South-central and Southeastern parts of the US. Central America to South America, Peru, and Uruguay also in the Caribbean.

Sexual maturity: 6-12 months

Gestation:120 days

Litter: Always 4 identical young of the same sex

Predators: Coyote, Bobcats, Cougars, Wolves, bears, Raccoon and Large birds of prey 

Diet: Insects, small animals, birds, eggs, fruit, roots and carrion

Interesting facts: The only armadillo of the species able to swim. It does this by filling its intestines and stomach with air which helps it float. Also with small streams it can walk on the bottom by holding its breath. Using its tongue armadillos can eat 40,000 ants in one feeding. The name armadillo comes from the word armado which means one that is armed. When digging for prey they avoid getting dust in their nose by holding their breath for 6 minutes. Their armor is a bunch of hard bone scales.

Endangerment status: common

Arctic Wolf

Scientific name: Canis lupus arctos

Fact: wolves will often go with out food so when they do get some they can eat up to 100 pounds of meat at a time

Height/length:25-31 inches and 3-5 ft

Weight:175 Lb but females are lighter than males

Lifespan:7 years average

Natural habitat: Throughout the arctic

Sexual maturity: Males: 3 years Females: 2 years

Gestation: 53-61 Days

Litter:4-5

Predators: Polar bears, other wolves and humans

Diet: arctic hares, musk ox, caribou and lemmings

Interesting facts:lives in a pack with up to 30 wolves but usually 7-10 wolves. food is so scarce in the arctic that the wolf does not waste a single bit they will eat the skin, fur and bones. they younger pack members are the ones who will watch the cubs as the mothers go hunting. Within the pack there is a hierarchy and the dominate wolf will often make wolves lower then him roll on their backs in a submission . Yet even with this display of dominance there is very little friction in the packs.  

endangerment statute: least concern

want to help:http://www.defenders.org/support-our-work

Spotted Hyena

Scientific name: Crocuta crocuta

Fact: Hyena's resemble a dog but is more closely related to a cat

Height:5 1/2 ft (female larger than males)

Weight: 130-175 lb

Lifespan: Up to 25 years

Natural habitat: open grass land in africa south of the sahara except southern south africa and the congo

Litter: 2-3

Predators: Lions, hunting dogs and humans

Diet: hunts wildebeest and zebra but also scavenge

Endangerments status: least concern but are declining due to hunting and the stereotype that these animals are "evil"

Interesting facts: Hyenas cough up indigestible food in pellet form. a hyena can chase and kill a prey upto 3 times its size. Hyenas were once thought to be both female and male due to their genitals looking similar. Hyenas howl to the ground unlike wolves who howl upwards. Hyenas are able to bite through bone. If hyena cubs are the same sex one will kill the other.

help the spotted hyena at: http://www.awf.org/donate

meekat

Scientific name: suricata suricatta

Fact: a meerkat can dig through a amount of sand equal to its size in meer seconds

Height:20in

Weight:2 pounds

Lifespan: Around 10 years

Natural habitat: open country side specifically in southern Africa

Litter: 4-5 young

Predators: Other meerkats (territory not for food), birds of prey, large snakes and mammals like the hyena

Diet: Mainly insects also large eggs, lizards and some plants

Endangerment status: Low risk

Interesting facts:
Meerkats are immune to scorpion and snake poison. They group together to scare off predators much larger than themselves. Meerkats use their tails so they can balance as well as using it to signal. Meerkats are like a small society they have the baby sitter to look after the young. The teacher to teach the juvenile to hunt also the sentry and hunters.

Want to help conservation:https://wwfstore.donorportal.ca/p-125-meerkat.aspx