Kids Encyclopedia

Groundhog — The groundhog (Marmota monax), also known as the woodchuck, land beaver, or whistlepig, is a rodent of the family Sciuridae, belonging to the group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. Most marmots, such as yellow-bellied and hoary marmots, live in rocky and mountainous areas, but the woodchuck is a lowland creature. It is widely distributed in North …

Guenon — The guenons are the genus Cercopithecus of Old World monkeys. Not all the members of this genus have the word “guenon” in their common names, and because of changes in scientific classification, some monkeys in other genera may have common names that do include the word “guenon”. Nonetheless the use of the term guenon for monkeys of this …

Guereza — The Mantled Guereza (Colobus guereza), also known simply as the Guereza, the Eastern Black-and-white Colobus, or the Abyssinian Black-and-white Colobus, is a colobus monkey, a kind of Old World monkey. It is native to much of west central and east Africa, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Chad. This black-and-white colobus species grows to about 18-28 …

Guinea Pig — The Guinea pig (also commonly called the cavy after its scientific name) is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not pigs, nor do they come from Guinea. They are native to the Andes, and while no longer extant in the wild, they are …

Hamster — Hamsters are rodents belonging to the subfamily Cricetinae. The subfamily contains about 18 species, classified in six or seven genera. Hamsters come in lots of different colours and shapes. Because they are easy to breed in captivity, hamsters are often used as lab animals and kept as pets in more economically developed countries. Over recent years they are …

Hare — Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. (Four other species of leporid in the genera Caprolagus and Pronolagus are also called “hares”.) Very young hares are called leverets. They are very fast moving. The European Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) can run at speeds of up to 70 km/h (45 mph). Hares live solitarily or in …

Hartebeest — The Hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus) is a grassland antelope found in West Africa, East Africa and Southern Africa. It is one of the three species classified in the genus Alcelaphus. The Hartebeest stands almost 1.5 m (5 ft) at the shoulder and weighs anywhere from 120-200 kg (265-440 lb). Male Hartebeest are a dark brown colour while females are …

Hedgehog — A hedgehog is any of the small spiny mammals of the subfamily Erinaceinae and the order Erinaceomorpha. There are 16 species of hedgehog in five genera, found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. There are no hedgehogs native to Australia, and no living species native to North America; those in New Zealand are introduced. Hedgehogs …

Hippopotamus — The hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius), (hippopotamos, hippos meaning “horse” and potamos meaning “river”), often shortened to “hippo”, is a large, mostly plant-eating African mammal, one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae (the other being the Pygmy Hippopotamus). The hippopotamus is semi-aquatic, inhabiting rivers and lakes in sub-Saharan Africa in large groups of up to 40 hippos. …

Hyena — Hyenas or Hyænas are moderately large terrestrial carnivores native to Africa, Arabia, Asia and the Indian subcontinent. They are members of the family Hyaenidae. The family comprises four species, the Aardwolf, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, and Striped Hyena. Although hyenas bear some physical resemblance to canids, they make up a separate biological family that is most closely related …