Childrens Illustrated Animal Atlas

92

Glossary

amphibians

Cold-blooded animals that

live both on land and in water,

such as frogs and newts

birds

Warm-blooded animals that

are covered in feathers and

have a bill, many of which can

fly, such as eagles

climate

Normal weather pattern

during the year in any part

of the world

coniferous tree

Type of tree with cones and

needlelike leaves that keeps

its leaves all year round

continents

Seven large areas of land

that the world is divided into:

Africa, Antarctica, Asia,

Australasia, Europe, North

America, and South America

coral reefs

Rocklike structures formed

by coral animals in the shallow

waters along coasts

deciduous tree

Type of tree that loses its

leaves in the fall or the

dry season

desert

Dry region that gets very little

rainfall in a year. Deserts can

be hot or cold

endangered

Word used to describe a

species of plant or animal

with only a few living

members left

equator

Imaginary line around the

middle of the Earth

extinct

Word used to describe a plant

or animal species that has no

living members

fish

Cold-blooded animals that live

in water and have gills and

fins, such as salmon

habitat

Environment in which an

animal or plant lives

hibernation

Sleeplike state some animals

enter in winter

invertebrates

Cold-blooded animals

without a backbone, such as

insects, spiders, or squids

island

Piece of land that has water

all around it

mammals

Warm-blooded animals that

have hair and feed their young

with milk, such as mice

mangroves

Trees that live in salty water

and have long, stiltlike roots

marsupial

Type of mammal that keeps its

young in a pouch

migration

Movement of a large number

of animals from one area to

another. Animals migrate to

follow warmer weather and

to find food

mountain

Area of land that rises up

much higher than the land

around it to form a peak

national park

Area of countryside that has

been preserved in its natural

state by the government of a

country to protect the wildlife

there and for people to enjoy

native

Word used to describe an

animal that comes from a

particular area or country

nocturnal

Word used to describe animals

that are awake during the night

ocean

Very large sea. There are five

oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic,

Indian, Arctic, and Southern

plain

Area of flat land with few

trees, often covered with grass

plateau

Large area of high, flat land

polar regions

Areas within the polar circles.

Polar regions are covered in

snow and ice for most of the

year and are extremely cold

predator

Animal that hunts other living

animals for food

prey

Animal that is hunted for food

rain forests

Dense forests with very high

rainfall. Most are near the

equator and are also very hot

reptiles

Cold-blooded animals covered

in dry, scaly skin such as snakes,

tortoises, and crocodiles

scrubland

Area of land covered in

different types of grass, and

small trees and bushes

species

Particular group of animals

or plants that share similar

features

taiga

Area of cold, coniferous forest

found near the Arctic Circle

temperate grassland

Large areas of grass found

in regions with hot and cold

seasons, such as prairie,

steppe, and pampas

temperate regions

Areas with hot and cold

seasons found between

tropical and polar regions

tropical grassland

Large areas of grass found

in areas that are hot all year

round, such as savanna

and cerrado

tropical regions

Areas that are hot all year

round, found near the equator

between the Tropic of Cancer

and the Tropic of Capricorn

tundra

Cold, treeless plains found

near the Arctic Circle

wetlands

Land with wet, spongy soil,

such as a marsh or swamp

A

aardvarks 42, 44

acacia trees 34, 41

Afghanistan 60, 64, 65

Africa 34–45

Alaska 10

Albania 47, 52, 57

albatrosses 84

Algeria 34, 36

alligators 18

The Alps 54

Amazon rain forest 20, 22–23

Amazon River 21

Andes 21, 24–25, 32–33

Andorra 46

anglerfish 88

Angola 34–35, 40, 42

anhingas 18

Antarctic Circle 6

Antarctica 84–85

anteaters 22, 30

antelopes 12, 36, 37, 41, 42, 45, 62, 65,

67, 69, 70, 75

ants 23, 30, 52

Arabian Peninsula 60, 70

Arctic 86–87

Arctic Circle 6

Argentina 20, 25, 26–27

armadillos 15, 31

Armenia 60, 65

Asia 60–75

Asian steppe 64

assassin bugs 26

asses 67, 74

Atlantic Ocean 88

Australasia 76–83

Australia 76, 78–79, 82–83

Austria 46, 52, 54

aye-ayes 43

Azerbaijan 60, 65

B

baboons 40, 70

badgers 10, 50, 59

Bahamas 9, 17

Bahrain 60, 70

Bangladesh 61, 67

baobabs 43

barracudas 18

barrier islands 9

batfish 17

bats 17, 48, 53, 59, 72, 80

bears 8, 10, 13, 24, 33, 47, 62, 66, 71, 73,

86

beavers 11, 59

bee-eaters 39

bees 51

beetles 22, 41, 52

Belarus 47, 48, 53, 55, 58–59

Belgium 46, 52

Index

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