DOGS

Did you know that two pet dogs were tried and hanged in Andover, Massachusetts? Did you also know that a German Shepard was lost in the Arizona Desert and four months later showed up at his master's home in Selah, Washington? Did you know that a dog is considered man's best friend? Did you know that some breeds of dogs have been around as long as 50 B.C.? There are many interesting facts about dogs.

A dog can weigh anywhere between 1 to 200 pounds. Dogs can be anywhere between 5 to 36 inches tall. Dog are mammals which are a class of vertebrate animals that have self-regulating body temperature, hair, and milk-producing females. A dog can be black, white, dark or light gray, red, sable, tricolor, blue merle, rust-red, golden, tan, lemon, tawny(sandy), yellow, rich golden, dark orange, mouse gray, silver, liver, roan, chestnut, and a combination of these colors.

A dog can live wherever you live. A dog is a pack animal and you are his leader. A dog wants to be with you. A dog's enemies are disease, cliffs, swift streams, other animals, heat, cold, storms, cars, trucks, open pits, chemicals, and electric cords. Humans can help dogs avoid many of these enemies. A dog can live anywhere a human can live. A dog makes his home with his master.

A dog eats either dry or canned dog food. A dog is a carnivore which is a flesh eating animal.

The tallest dog in the world is the Irish Wolf Hound. It is 36 inches tall. A Saint Bernard weighs 200 pounds. It is the largest breed of dog. The smallest and the shortest is the Chihuahua. It is 5 inches tall and it weighs 1 to 6 pounds. Did you know that the Basenji has been around since 3400 BC? The blood hound and Italian greyhound have been around since 100 BC. The Tibetan terrier has been around since 50 BC.

A dog is a loyal and faithful animal. That is why it is considered man's best friend.

- Amanda, 13, USA

CAMELS

You may think camels are smelly old animals, who have two humps, and live in the hot desert. Well, some of that maybe true. But camels are pretty interesting animals. Camels have two sets of eye lashes and hair in their ears to keep all of the sand from blowing into their eyes and ears. They also grunt and spit a lot and have four very large feet with only two toes! Think camels are dumb animals? Nope. Camels are smarter then your average dog. I bet you also thought those two humps store water in them, right? Wrong again. They are packed with fatty food for when food becomes scarce in the desert. Ever had camel milk? That's right, nomads actually live off of milk produced by camels which contain loads of nutrients. During the day a camel's average body temperature is 93 degrees, and at night about 105 degrees. Man, those camels most be sweating! There are different types of camels, too. The Bactrian or Asian with the usual two humps, and the Dromedary or Arabian with one hump. Camels are fascinating little (or should I say huge) animals who are perfect for desert travel or just for pets.

– Kathleen, 12, South Carolina

BIRDS

Birds need more love then you think! Birds can seem like something you can just feed, water, and he'll be on your shoulder and talking. Well no - a bird needs to be played with and talked to everyday. I know this because we own a bird farm in California.We have over 2,500 birds. Most are parakeets, but we have lots of cockatiels too! My mom has a Green Cheeked Conure. He says about 6 different things. My mom is constantly talking to him and playing with him. He gets annoying. Most people give up when something isn't how they like it. So if you have an animal, don't get one if you can't live up to his expectations.

- Valerie, 12, California

MONKEYS

Monkeys are very intelligent animals actually. Some people just think they are animals that go "ooh-ooh aah-aah!" But really, they are grouped with us humans. Scientists use monkeys for experiments to test for human behaviors and diseases. The intelligence of monkeys enables them to adapt to broad environments. There are about two hundred species of monkeys. They live mostly in tropical regions, and almost all monkeys live in trees. They live together in various groups.

The smallest monkey, the pygmy marmoset, measures only six inches (15 centimeters) in size. The mandrill, one of the largest species, may grow to be as long as 32 inches (81 centimeters). Monkeys usually run on all fours. There are two very large groups of monkeys - they are Old World monkeys and New World monkeys. Monkeys eat almost anything they can find like eggs, flowers, frogs, fruit, grass, insects, leaves, lizards, nuts, and roots. Monkeys usually only have one baby at a time. Monkeys carry their young with them for about four and a half to eight months. The young monkeys ride on their mothers back. Monkeys are mammals.

- Jessica, 12, Virginia