The Mighty Jungle Series

The Amazon rainforest is the largest rainforest in the world. It covers nearly 400,000 square miles of territory in South America. The forest is home to many animal species, including jaguars, black caimans, and pink dolphins. Some animals, like monkeys and anteaters, are abundant while others are rare- although all animals are endangered in the Amazon due to human activity. Jungle animals are dangerous to humans. Most of them are carnivorous and have sharp teeth and claws. They're also territorial, which means they will attack if they feel threatened. Some examples of jungle animals include jaguars, monkeys, and snakes. All of these animals are dangerous, but jaguars are especially deadly. They have large canine teeth that can penetrate even thick animal skin, making them very dangerous. Jungle animals are also used for food or clothing by some people. Many people live in the Amazon, and they hunt animals for food and clothing. They also use monkeys as sources of food, entertainment, and medicine. However, many of these people have limited resources and can't give all of their catches away; they end up eating them or selling them to make a living. Some animals have been domesticated over time for use as pets or livestock.  Many species of monkeys and apes are commonly kept as pets throughout South America. They're usually captured as babies and raised in cages before being released back into the wild. Caiman species are also commonly domesticated as pets- they're usually kept in fish tanks and never leave the enclosure.

Kangaroos have been an iconic symbol of Australia for centuries, and it's easy to see why. These marsupials are some of the most fascinating animals on the planet, with their unique ability to hop around and their distinctive physical features. But what else do we know about kangaroos? For starters, kangaroos are some of the world's largest marsupials. They can reach heights of over two meters and weigh up to 90 kilograms, making them a force to be reckoned with. They use their powerful hind legs to propel themselves forward in leaps of up to nine meters in a single bound, reaching speeds of over 40 kilometers per hour. They also have the ability to swim and can even use their tail as a rudder when crossing streams and rivers. Kangaroos are also known to be incredibly social animals, enjoying grazing in large herds in the Australian outback. They use vocalizations and scent marking to communicate with other kangaroos in their area. They live in organized family groups, but can also be found living in solitary lifestyles. Kangaroos are also very intelligent animals, with some studies suggesting that they can even learn to recognize their own reflection in a mirror. They are also known to be incredibly curious and playful, often playing with sticks and chasing each other around. Kangaroos are herbivores, meaning that they only eat plant-based foods such as grasses, leaves, and fruits. They can survive in many different habitats, from the harsh desert of Australia to the lush rainforests of Queensland.

Animal diversity goes far beyond dogs, cats and people. That's a lot more than The Zoo or even the Discovery Channel. Movies only show the big, impressive ones, like man-eating tigers and man-eating sharks. It's a shame, because the monsters in the movies don't come close to the real thing. Dogs hold the record for the most diverse land mammals in the world, says Elaine Ostrander, a geneticist who studies dogs at the National Institutes of Health. The largest dog is 40 times larger than the smallest dog. They have different coats, head shapes, muzzles and demeanor. Ostrander's work revealed the DNA differences that make this variability possible. Human alteration of the environment—through agriculture, urbanization, deforestation, pollution, climate change, and more—has both negative and positive effects on wildlife. For example, "laying heaven [or rather hell?] to build a parking lot" prevents the existence of animals that would otherwise live there. Even if a habitat isn't destroyed, humans can change the composition of the species that live there. For example, if an invasive species lives shorter than a native species and has more surviving offspring than a native species, it suffers more overall. Of course, the reverse is also true. It is important to know who we are with on Earth. We talk about animal protection with numbers, but those are just numbers.

The seas and oceans play a vital role in the earth's climate. One of the most important services the ocean provides to human society is the provision of food through captured fisheries and farms. This includes fish, invertebrates, plants and, for some cultures, marine mammals and seabirds for direct consumption or as feed in aquaculture or agriculture. These marine food sources have major benefits for human health and nutrition, economic returns and employment. Phytoplankton and algae form the basis of aquatic food webs. They are eaten by primary consumers such as zooplankton, small fish and crustaceans. Primary consumers are in turn eaten by fish, small sharks, coral and baleen whales. The ocean's top predators include large sharks, swordfish, dolphins, toothed whales and large seals. Humans consume aquatic organisms from every part of this food web. The seas and oceans are home to amazing species of animals. The Earth's oceans are home to millions of animal and plant species, as well as potentially millions more that are so far undiscovered. They are delicately balanced ecosystems and their healthy function is key to the balance of all life on Earth.