Happy About Animals_1600050190

Happy About® Animals An 8-year old’s view on sharing the Earth By Duncan Levy with a foreword by Award-winning Videographer Fred Heiman

21265 Stevens Creek Blvd. Suite 205 Cupertino, CA 95014

Happy About® Animals: An 8-year old’s view on sharing the Earth Copyright © 2007 by Happy About® All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein. Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and authors assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein. First Printing: February 28, 2006 Tradebook ISBN 1-60005-019-0 Place of Publication: Silicon Valley, California, USA Library of Congress Number: 2006938569 eBook Version 1.0: February2007 eBook ISBN 1-60005-020-4

Trademarks All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. Happy About® cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

Warning and Disclaimer Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty of fitness is implied. The information provided is on an “as is” basis. The authors and the publisher shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book.

Photos A special thanks need to go to PhotostoGo (http://photostogo.com) for allowing us to use a number of their photos in this book.

Acknowledgments I wish to thank my Dad for giving me the support to make this book happen. I wish to thank my Grandpa for showing me all the animals that he’s seen and researched about and for some of the photos used. I wish to thank my Mom for putting me on this Earth. I wish to thank my Grandma for helping my Grandpa research about the animals in this book and all over the world.

Publisher and Executive Editor • Mitchell Levy, http://www.happyabout.info/

Technical Editor • Fred Heiman, http://www.globevideoproductions.com/

Cover Designer • Cate Calson, http://www.calsongraphics.com/

Layout Designer • Val Swisher, President, Oak Hill Corporation http://www.oakhillcorporation.com/

Photos • PhotostoGo, http://photostogo.com • Fred Heiman, Globe Video Productions, http://www.globevideoproductions.com/

A Message From Happy About® Thank you for your purchase of this Happy About book. It is available online at http://HappyAbout.info/animals.php or at other online and physical bookstores. • Please contact us for quantity discounts at [email protected] • If you want to be informed by e-mail of upcoming Happy About® books, please e-mail [email protected] • If you want to contribute to upcoming Happy About® books, please go to http://happyabout.info/contribute/ Happy About is interested in you if you are an author that would like to submit a non-fiction book proposal or a corporation that would like to have a book written for you. Please contact us by e-mail [email protected] or phone (1-408-257-3000).

Other Happy About books available include: • Happy About People-to-People Lending with Prosper.com: http://happyabout.info/prosper/ • Memoirs of the Money Lady: http://happyabout.info/memoirs-money-lady.php • Happy About Online Networking: http://happyabout.info/onlinenetworking.php • 30-Day Bootcamp: Your Ultimate Life Makeover: http://www.happyabout.info/30daybootcamp/life-makeover.php • The Business Rule Revolution: http://happyabout.info/business-rule-revolution.php • Happy About Global Software Test Automation: http://www.happyabout.info/globalswtestautomation.php • Happy About Joint Venturing: http://happyabout.info/jointventuring.php • Happy About LinkedIn for Recruiting: http://happyabout.info/linkedin4recruiting.php

foreword

Foreword by Award Winning Videographer Fred Heiman - - - - - - - - - - - - 1

chapter 1

Introduction - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3

chapter 2

Animals on Land - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 Wolf - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -6 Penguin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -8 Albatross - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -8 Gorilla - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 Leopard - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 Hyena - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 12 Flamingo - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 Red Fox- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 Bobcat- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16 Porcupine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 18 Lion- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 Tiger - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 Moose - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22 Cheetah - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22 Baboon - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 24 Eagle- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26 Parrot - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 26 Walrus- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 Seal - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 Polar Bear - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30 Conclusion of Animals on Land - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 32

Happy About Animals

Page v

chapter 3

Animals in the Sea - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 33 Schools of Fish - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 34 Salmon Swimming Upstream - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 36 Eel - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 38 Boxfish - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40 Stonefish- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 40 Jellyfish- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 42 Dolphins - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 44 Hammerhead Shark - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 46 Killer Whale (Orca)- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48 Humpback Whale - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 48 Ray - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 50 Conclusion of Animals in the Sea - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -52

chapter 4

Conclusion - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 53

why read

Inspire to Learn and to Write - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -55 Share Duncan Levy’s Passion, Insightfulness & Wit - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -56 One Reason Not to Share this Book - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -56

author

Page vi

About the Author - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -57

contents

f o r e w o r d

Foreword by Award Winning Videographer Fred Heiman There is no greater thrill for me than looking through the lens at an animal in the wild – and having him look back at me. There seems to be a sense of communication with the animal, but perhaps that is just my vivid imagination. However, most wildlife photographers would agree with me. I have had this experience with humpback whales in the warm waters off the Vava’u island group in Tonga, with Bengal tigers in Ranthambhore National Park in India, with polar bears on the ice edge of Baffin Bay in Canada, with grizzly bears in Katmai National Park in Alaska and with a particularly inquisitive moose in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Being with animals in the wild is an awe-inspiring experience. Many of the animals described in this book are endangered, with some close to extinction. Scientists estimate that there are less than 5,000 tigers in the wild, with two-thirds residing in India. Yet, one is killed each day by poachers. Humans kill more than 100 million sharks each year so that Asian diners can pay up to $100 for a bowl of shark fin soup. Humpback whales are making a good recovery from the devastation they faced during the whaling days of the 1900s, but soon may face a greater threat if highlevel sonar is used by the U.S. Navy. And, if scientists are correct, polar bears will disappear entirely from central Canada by 2070 as global warming prevents Hudson Bay from freezing.

Happy About Animals

Page 1

When my eight year old grandson Duncan came to me to write a foreward to this book, I was thrilled and flattered. He has been sitting on my lap, looking at footage from one of my wildlife adventure since he was born. It is through these sessions that he has come to understand and appreciate the place that they have on our planet. I hope you enjoy this book, not only for the information contained in its pages, but for the in-depth understanding that comes to an eight year old doing a project of this magnitude.

Page 2

foreword

c h a p t e r

1

Introduction

This book talks about animals and why they are special. I am very "Happy About Animals" and would like to see them protected. The Bald Eagle, our national bird, is very important to the history of the United States and has been upgraded from an “endangered” animal to a “threatened” one. Both don’t sound good to me. In this book you will find specially chosen animals from land and from sea. I’ve seen a number of these animals personally and my Grandfather has seen the rest. It’s very cool that he can tell me about what he’s seen and I can share some of that knowledge with you.

Happy About Animals

Page 3

Page 4

Chapter 1: Introduction

c h a p t e r

2

Animals on Land

Animals on land are fun to look at and can be fun to pet, particularly domestic animals. I love my grandparent’s cats. However, many of the animals in this book are wild animals, which can only be looked at. Petting them will result in losing fingers or an arm or worse. Yikes! In looking at the pictures that my dad collected, I chose these animals because I liked the way they looked and wanted to know more about them. I hope you enjoy my choices of animals on land.

Happy About Animals

Page 5

Wolf

Page 6

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Wolves Wolves are cool amazing animals. Some people think that humans turn into Werewolves. This is nonsense. Wolves are in the dog family and are carnivores. The three recognized wolf species are coyote, grey, and red.

Happy About Animals

Page 7

Penguin

Albatross

Page 8

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Penguins Penguins are smart creatures who are in the bird family, but cannot fly. Isn’t that weird? They have different names, like emperor, little blue, and rock jumper.

Albatross Albatrosses are small smart creatures but are as different from Penguins as night and day. Although they are both black and white, the Albatross can fly and generally lives in a warmer environment.

Happy About Animals

Page 9

Gorilla

Page 10

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Gorillas Gorillas are huge hairy mammals that closely resemble humans that need a haircut. The males can reach a height of 5-6 feet tall. The average life span of a gorilla is 40 years. They are vegetarians and primarily eat fruits and vines.

Happy About Animals

Page 11

Leopard

Hyena

Page 12

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Leopards Leopards are yellow with black spots on them. They are carnivores in the cat family and are also big.

Hyenas Hyenas are usually brown with black spots. They have very sharp teeth and are carnivores. Dad and Mom saw hyenas in South Africa. They said they looked like cute little cats and wanted to jump out of the van to pet them. Their guide told them that they would lose a finger or worse if they did.

Happy About Animals

Page 13

Flamingo

Page 14

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Flamingos Flamingos are pink and beautiful with amazingly long necks. They are in the bird family. They are tropical birds that like the sun light. They get their color from the algae in the water where they live.

Happy About Animals

Page 15

Red Fox

Bobcat

Page 16

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Red Foxes Red Foxes are red with grey and are in the dog family. They too are carnivores. Foxes are usually preyed on by larger animals and humans.

Bobcats Bobcats are light brown with black tipped spiky ears, and a short blacktipped tail. I saw three baby bobcats up at my Grandpa’s house. They were so cute, I wanted to pet them. They were easily scared. Most wild animals are scared of humans.

Happy About Animals

Page 17

Porcupine

Page 18

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Porcupines Porcupines are black with grey spikes which are their protective mechanism. The spikes go into other animals when they feel threatened. They are in the rodent family. These animals are unable to climb trees.

Happy About Animals

Page 19

Lion

Tiger

Page 20

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Lions Lions are big ferocious beasts which are also carnivores. Almost everyone knows that. They are in the cat family and are found in Africa and, of course, in zoos.

Tigers Tigers have six different species. They are Siberian, Bengal, Sumatran, Malayan, South China and North Indochinese. The males do not have a mane. They are carnivores and typically hunt at night. Tigers are the largest species of the cat family. The Siberian tiger may grow to 13 feet and weigh up to 640 pounds.

Happy About Animals

Page 21

Moose

Cheetah

Page 22

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Moose Moose are furry brown animals that are the largest in the deer family weighing between 1,000 and 1,800 pounds. They are mostly found in the northern parts of Eurasia and North America. They eat grass and are vegetarians.

Cheetahs Cheetahs are my favorite animal. They are the fastest mammals in the world and can run up to speeds of 70mph. They are carnivores and are part of the cat family. Cool.

Happy About Animals

Page 23

Baboon

Page 24

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Baboons Baboons are large powerful animals with thick fur that are in the monkey family. They live mostly in Africa. Sometimes they are called dog-faced monkeys. They mostly travel in groups of 40-80 and live in groups of 350. Wow, what a family.

Happy About Animals

Page 25

Eagle

Parrot

Page 26

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Eagles Eagles are in the bird family and are predators. They live all over the world. They have a wing span of up to 7 1/2 feet. The bald eagle is the United States’ national bird. They feed on rodents and fish.

Parrots Parrots are also part of the bird family. There are 315 different species of parrots. Parrots come in all colors. They have large heads and short necks. They eat insects and nuts.

Happy About Animals

Page 27

Walrus

Seal

Page 28

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Walruses The walrus male can grow to be 10 feet long and weigh over 3,000 pounds. Believe it or not, walruses are mammals. They like to hang out in packs of 100 or more. Their teeth look like the tusks of an elephant.

Seals Seals are big smelly creatures, who swim underwater like the penguin. Seals are carnivores. There are different species of seals like: elephant, harp, harbor and common.

Happy About Animals

Page 29

Polar Bear

Page 30

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

Polar Bears Polar bears are in the bear family. They are large and white with a cute black nose. They are powerful swimmers. They can grow to between 7 and 9 1/2 feet and can run up to speeds of 25mph.

Happy About Animals

Page 31

Conclusion of Animals on Land There are many different species of animals on land, although I’ve only shown you a small number of them. They are in the bear, bird, cat, dog and deer families, to name a few. I like all animals, but cheetahs are my favorite.

Page 32

Chapter 2: Animals on Land

c h a p t e r

3

Animals in the Sea

The fish in the sea come in all different colors, shapes and sizes. They range in size from minnows to rays. They range in color from frogfishes to butterfly fishes. They range in shapes from sea horses to flying fish. They have names like jacks, gars, mullets, groupers and gobbies. Actually, there are about 30,000 species. I do not eat any kind of fish, although lots of people do. Fish are limbless and breath through gills. Some are big and some are small; some have color and some are camouflaged to blend into their surroundings. The most obvious thing about fish is that they don’t breath air.

Happy About Animals

Page 33

Schools of Fish

Page 34

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Schools of Fish Lots of specifies of fish like to swim in packs called schools. It appears that they like to hang out together. Dad says it’s because they feel more protected in larger groups. There are a lot of fish in a school. It’s amazing how they can all change direction at the same time.

Happy About Animals

Page 35

Salmon Swimming Upstream

Barracuda

Page 36

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Salmons Salmon live in the sea. They are renowned as game fish since they are plentiful and easy to catch. Salmon are born and mate in the river and swim upstream to find a nesting place to lay eggs. Dad eats salmon, particularly in the form of lox on a bagel. He also eats it as sushi. Yuck!

Barracudas Barracuda are slender fish with long snouts. They hang out in schools, as you can see in the picture. They live in tropical seas and are very dangerous, with sharp teeth striking at anything that gleams. The great barracuda can grow to be up to 6 feet long, but 2-4 feet is more common. I never want to be in front of a great barracuda.

Happy About Animals

Page 37

Eel

Clownfish

Page 38

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Eels Eels are slender, have a snake-like shape and look cool in the water. There are 13 families of eel in a variety of colors. Some are green and some are blue, plus a host of other colors. My favorite eel is the electric eel; if you touch one you will get a shock.

Clownfish Clownfish are orange and white stripped. The real name for clownfish is anemone fish because they take refuge in anemone. Clownfish do not really tell jokes like real clowns do, but they do look as funny.

Happy About Animals

Page 39

Boxfish

Stonefish

Page 40

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Boxfish Boxfish are tropical fish and come in a variety of colors. They really look like boxes. They are slow swimmers who can produce a toxic poison as a protective mechanism.

Stonefish Stonefish are probably one of the ugliest fish I’ve ever seen. They are also deadly. Stonefish feed on shrimp and small fish. When you’re in the ocean, try to keep your eyes open to make sure you do not step on one.

Happy About Animals

Page 41

Jellyfish

Page 42

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Jellyfish Jellyfish are pink with an orange tinge and have stingers. Try not to touch a jellyfish unless you want to get stung and feel something gooey. They use the stingers to secure prey and as a protective mechanism. My Grandfather swam in a lake with hundreds of thousands of jellyfish that had lost their stingers. He said it was amazing. Jellyfish look like bubbles to me.

Happy About Animals

Page 43

Dolphins

Page 44

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Dolphins Dolphins are the second smartest animals on earth according to “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.” Mice are first, but that’s another story... Most of them can do amazing tricks since their intelligence makes them trainable and because they have powerful tails. They typically grow up to 8 feet and weigh up to 165 pounds.

Happy About Animals

Page 45

Hammerhead Shark

Page 46

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Hammerhead Sharks Hammerhead sharks have heads shaped like hammers. These sharks are typically 11 feet long with the largest one found being 20 feet. The amazing part of these animals is their sense of smell. Ok, where is it’s nose?

Happy About Animals

Page 47

Killer Whale (Orca)

Humpback Whale

Page 48

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Killer Whales (Orca) Killer Whales are also known as Orcas. Babies are 7 feet long at birth and males can grow up to 30 feet. They are black and white mammals (my mom’s favorite colors). They are fast and ferocious with four dozen sharp teeth.

Humpback Whales Humpback Whales are huge with females measuring up to 50 feet. You can tell the difference between them by their tails (flukes) which have different patterns. They eat 3,000 pounds of krill and small fish a day, and I thought my dad ate a lot. Every humpback whale has a different pattern on its tail which is as distinctive as our fingerprints.

Happy About Animals

Page 49

Ray

Page 50

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

Rays Rays are related to sharks and also have no bones. The pictures are of a sting ray and an eagle ray. The largest are manta rays which are also called devilrays. These fish can weigh up to 3,000 pounds and are 22 feet wide (wing span). They look like kites flying in the water. My Grandparents said they were able to float underneath them and touch their bellies.

Happy About Animals

Page 51

Conclusion of Animals in the Sea Most of these fish are beautiful except for the stonefish. We were going to show you all 30,000 species but that would be too much. I’m amazed at how big some of these fish can become and how pretty they are. I don’t think I’ll ever eat them!

Page 52

Chapter 3: Animals in the Sea

c h a p t e r

4

Conclusion

After researching and thinking about all of these animals, my favorite two are the cheetah and killer whales. I can’t decide which I like better. My mom’s favorite animal is the male lion. Dad says “that it’s a hard choice to pick just one, but if he could have any of the animals in the book as a pet, it would be the dolphin.” So, what is your favorite animal? Please e-mail me and let me know at [email protected] I hope after reading this book that you may have learned more facts about some of my favorite animals. Maybe some of these animals will be your favorites as well. It was a pleasure writing this book for you. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Happy About Animals

Page 53

Page 54

Chapter 4: Conclusion

f

Inspire to Learn and to Write Animals on land Duncan discusses include: albatross, baboon, bobcat, cheetah, eagle, flamingo, gorilla, hyena, leopard, lion, moose, parrot, penguin, porcupine, red fox, seal tiger, walrus, wolf, and the polar bear. Animals in the sea include: boxfix, dolphins, eel, schools of fish, jellyfish, hammerhead, humback whales, killer whales, rays, salmon, sharks, and stonefish. Read the intro paragraph from chapter 2 to get a feel for Duncan's writing style. "Animals on land are fun to look at and can be fun to pet, particularly domestic animals. I love my grandparent’s cats. However, many of the animals in this book are wild animals, which can only be looked at. Petting them will result in losing fingers or an arm or worse. Yikes!"

Happy About Animals

Page 55

Share Duncan Levy’s Passion, Insightfulness & Wit "'Happy About Animals' is a lovely look at a young boy's love of animals. Reading through Duncan Levy's eyes reminds us how we can use our passions to educate and encourage change. I know that this book will be a favorite in my classroom library." Lauren Skye, Teacher, Portland, Oregon "'Happy About Animals' is a very thoughtful look at the creatures who share the world with us from a boy who not only enjoys wildlife, but is also keenly aware of the dangers animals face in our rapidly developing world. Kids of all ages, and their parents and teachers, will find Duncan Levy's book insightful and fun!" An Anonymous Librarian

One Reason Not to Share this Book "I liked this book because there were lots of colorful pictures. My favorite was the flamingo. The facts were interesting and some were funny. My favorite animals were the hyena, lion, cheetah and polar bear. The only reason I may not read 'Happy About Animals' again is because a boy wrote it." Sierra Rodrigues - 8 year old girl

Page 56

Why Read This Book?

a u t h o r

About the Author

Duncan Levy is eight years old and enjoys all animals. He has brown hair and freckles. The picture above was taken during the couple times a year that it snows in the mountains in Northern California. Duncan has over 20 Happy About books he’d like his father to write. Titles include: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Happy About Animals

Happy About Learning from your Mistakes Happy About Life Happy About Death Happy About Yourself Happy About Your Self Consciousness Happy About Education Happy About Reading Happy About Writing Happy About Coloring Happy About Having a Mom and a Dad Happy About Having Food and Water Happy About Having Shelter

author