Other Mammals: English Vocabulary List

a nocturnal, burrowing mammal native to Africa, with a long snout and tongue, feeding mainly on ants and termites

"The aardvark eats ants."

"The nocturnal aardvark uses its long snout and tongue to efficiently feed on ants and termites in its burrow."

a tropical mammal with a long tail, snout and tongue that feeds on ants or other insects

"The anteater ate many ants."

"The giant anteater can flick its two foot long tongue in and out up to one hundred fifty times per minute."

a small nocturnal mammal that is covered in small bony plates and is usually found in Southern America

"The armadillo has plates."

"The small, nocturnal armadillo, covered in bony plates, scurried across the ground in search of insects."

a large, nocturnal bat with a wingspan of up to six feet, found in various parts of the world, known for its ability to fly long distances and feed on fruit

"Flying foxes hang upside down during the day."

"The flying fox is a fruit bat with a wingspan of up to five feet and no echolocation ability."

a bat that feeds on fruits and lives in tropical countries

"Fruit bats will travel far to find ripe mangoes."

"Fruit bats disperse seeds over large distances because they drop fruit pits while flying between feeding trees."

a small mammal that is active at night, which is covered with spines and can roll itself while attacked

"The hedgehog curled up when it heard a noise."

"The hedgehog rolls into a tight ball of sharp spines when threatened protecting its vulnerable face and belly."

a wild mammal like a rabbit, called hare, native to open parts of the US

"A jackrabbit has very long ears that help it cool down."

"The jackrabbit's enormous ears help regulate body temperature by radiating excess heat in the desert."

a nocturnal mammal covered in hard, overlapping scales, feeding primarily on ants and termites, and capable of curling into a protective ball

"Pangolins are covered in hard scales for protection."

"The pangolin curls into an armored ball when threatened and its scales feel like fingernail material."

a mid-sized nocturnal mammal that resembles a pig and has hooves, usually found through North and South America

"A peccary lives in forests."

"The peccary is a pig like animal that lives in herds and defends itself with sharp tusks and musk."

a small animal with a thick tail, gray-brown fur and black marks on its face

"A raccoon searched the trash."

"Raccoons have remarkably dexterous front paws that allow them to open trash cans doors and even jars which makes them clever urban pests."

a small nocturnal mammal with long snout and tiny eyes, which feeds on insects

"The shrew eats almost constantly to survive."

"The shrew has an extremely high metabolism and must eat up to three times its body weight daily to survive."

a large herbivorous mammal with a short trunk that lives in forests of South and Central America or Southeast Asia

"Look a tapir is walking toward the river."

"The tapir's short prehensile nose functions like a stubby elephant trunk for grabbing leaves and fruit."

a small winged mammal that feeds on the blood of other animals and is found in tropical regions of South America

"The vampire bat drinks blood."

"The vampire bat makes a small incision with its razor sharp teeth then laps the blood without harming its host."

a wild pig with a pair of small tusks that is native to Eurasia and North Africa

"Wild boars damage farmland when they search for food."

"The wild boar's sharp tusks are actually elongated canine teeth that grow continuously throughout its life."

a rabbit-like animal with long legs and ears, which can run very fast

"The hare ran quickly."

"The agile hare darted across the meadow, its long legs propelling it to incredible speeds."