Kids Encyclopedia

Marmoset — Marmosets are New World monkeys of the genus Callithrix, which contains 18 species. The term marmoset is also used in reference to the Goeldi’s Marmoset, Callimico goeldii, which is not part of the genus Callithrix. Most marmosets are about 20 cm long. Relative to other monkeys, they show some apparently primitive features: they have claws rather than nails, …

Marten — The Martens constitute the genus Martes within the subfamily Mustelinae, in family Mustelidae. They are slender, agile, animals, adapted to living in trees, and are found in coniferous and northern deciduous forests across the northern hemisphere. They have bushy tails, and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on the …

Mandrill — The Mandrill (Mandrillus sphinx) is a primate of the Cercopithecidae (Old-world monkeys) family, closely related to the baboons and even more closely to the Drill. Both the Mandrill and the Drill were once classified as baboons in genus Papio, but recent research has determined that they should be separated into their own genus, Mandrillus. The Mandrill is the …

Macaque — The macaques constitute a genus of Old World monkeys of the subfamily Cercopithecinae. Aside from humans (genus Homo), the macaques are the most widespread primate genus, ranging from northern Africa to Japan. Twenty-two macaque species are currently recognised, and they include some of the monkeys best known to non-zoologists, such as the Rhesus Macaque (as the Rhesus Monkey), …

Lynx — A lynx is any of four medium-sized wild cats. All are members of the genus Lynx, but there is considerable confusion about the best way to classify felids at present, and some authorities classify them as part of the genus Felis. Lynx have short tails and usually a tuft of black hair on the tip of the ears. …

Llama — The llama (Lama glama) is a South American camelid, widely used as a pack animal by the Incas and other natives of the Andes mountains. In South America and parts of Central America llamas are still used for beasts of burden, fiber production and meat. The height of a full-grown, full-size llama is between 5.5 feet (1.6 meters) …

Leopard — The leopard (Panthera pardus) is an Old World mammal of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four ‘big cats’ of the genus Panthera, along with the tiger, lion, and jaguar. Leopards that are melanistic, either all-black or very dark in coloration, are known colloquially as black panthers. Once distributed across southern Eurasia and Africa, from Korea …

Lion — The lion (Panthera leo) is a member of the family Felidae and one of four “big cats” in the genus Panthera. With exceptional large males exceeding 250 kg (550 lb) in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger. Wild lions currently exist in sub-Saharan Africa and in Asia with a critically endangered remnant population in …

Lemur — Lemurs make up the infraorder Lemuriformes and are members of a group of primates known as prosimians. The term “lemur” is derived from the Latin word lemures, meaning “spirits of the night” or “ghosts”. This likely refers to their large, reflective eyes and the wailing cries of some species (the Indri in particular). The term is generically used …

Lemming — Lemmings are small rodents, usually found in or near the Arctic, in tundra biomes. Together with the voles and muskrats, they make up the subfamily Arvicolinae (also known as Microtinae), which forms part of the largest mammal radiation by far, the superfamily Muroidea, which also includes the rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. Lemmings weigh from 30 to 112 …