Scientific: Scyphozoa

Characteristics:
Some jellyfishes are transparent while others exist in bright colours like yellow, blue, and pink. They are bioluminescent which means that they produce their light.

An interesting fact:
The most interesting characteristics of the jellyfish is that the animal does not have a brain.

Source:
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/jellyfish/

Scientific: Aptenodytes patagonicus

Characteristics:
King penguins have black heads with distinguishing orange plumage at the ear and throat. The plumage fades to yellow as it nears the chest, which is white. They have thick, black legs to hold their eggs and young chicks, and their beak, which has orange on each side, is longer than any other penguin species.

An interesting fact:
King Penguins are the 2^nd largest species of penguin.

Source:
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/king-penguin/

Scientific: Dromaius novaehollandiae

Characteristics:
Emus are soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds with long necks and legs. Their feet are long, with three toes. One toe on each foot has a long talon, for fighting.

An interesting fact: 
Emus have two sets of eyelids, one for blinking and the other for keeping the dust out.

 

Source: https://www.domesticforest.com/emu/#:~:text=Emus%20are%20soft%2Dfeathered%2C%20brown,for%20short%20bursts%2C%20as%20well.

Scientific: Ovis aries

Characteristics:
Sheeps are stocky hooved mammals with four legs, thick torsos, and short tails.  All of these animals are covered in thick hairs that are supported by a soft wooly undercoat. Both wild and domestic sheep can have horns, but wild species tend to have far more impressive spirals. As with most species, the rams will almost always have larger horns than the ewes. Some domestic sheep have been bred to have no horns at all.

An interesting fact:
Sheep have a groove in their upper lip that divides it in half.

 

Source:
https://a-z-animals.com/animals/sheep/, https://spca.bc.ca/news/facts-about-sheep/

An interesting fact:
Jinkee, a 5-year-old red toy poodle, has 74,000 followers on Instagram.

An interesting fact:
They’re non-venomous. But you still wouldn’t want to get bitten by one! The females keep their incubating eggs warm by contracting or twitching their muscles really quickly…like we do when we shiver.

 

Source:
https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/zoo/meet-the-zoo-animals/burmese-python/

Characteristics:
The leaves are aromatic with 11–21 leaflets in each stalk.
The plant has small white flowers which become small curry berries with one large seed. The berry pulp is edible, with a sweet flavour.

The leaves are used widely in Asian cooking, especially Indian cooking.

Interesting fact:
The leaves are used as a herb in Ayurvedic and Siddha medicine in which they are believed to possess anti-disease properties.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curry_tree

Characteristics: 
Each stalk of leaves has about 20 to 30 medium to dark green leaflets. The leaflets have serrated (zig zag) boundary. 

The flowers are white and grow in clusters.

The fruit is green and looks like olives.
The Neem leaves are known for their bitter taste and antiseptic properties.

Interesting fact:

In India, Neem leaves are dried and placed in cupboards to prevent insects eating the clothes and in tins where rice is stored.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azadirachta_indica

Common: Neotropical Leguminosae
Scientific: Caesalpinioideae

Characteristics:
Leaves usually bipinnate or less frequently paripinnate, often with specialized "ant" glands, sometimes with a tendril.
Inflorescences usually heads or spikes, although these frequently aggregated into more compound structures.
Flowers radially symmetrical, usually small.
Sepals generally united at the base.
Petals valvate in bud, the median petal (similar in size and shape to the other 4) not overlapped or overlapping the other 4.
Stamens (3-)10-100(-100+), usually all similar in shape and size, filaments free or fused at the base, always exserted.
Seeds usually with an open pleurogram on each lateral surface.

Interesting fact:
Caesalpinioideae is a subfamily of the flowering plant family Fabaceae. Members of this family usually have zygomorphic flowers.

Source:
http://www.kew.org/science/tropamerica/neotropikey/families/Leguminosae_(Caesalpinioideae).htm

An interesting fact:
Dahlias are considered one of the most spectacular garden flowers. When given as a gift, the dahlia flower expresses sentiments of dignity and elegance. It is also the symbol of a commitment and bond that lasts forever. When given as a gift, the dahlia flower expresses sentiments of dignity and elegance. It is also the symbol of a commitment and bond that lasts forever.

Source: http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-dahlias/

Name:

Common: Sharks

Scientific: Elasmobranchii

 

Characteristics: Sharks have a body structure formed of cartilage, instead of bone. Their fins cannot change shape or fold alongside their body. Sharks are not covered in scales, instead they have tough skin that are covered by small plates with enamel, similar to our teeth. The whale shark, the largest shark species, can live up to 150 years, and many of the smaller sharks can live between 20 and 30 years. 

 

An interesting fact: Sharks’ teeth don’t have roots, so they usually fall out after a week. A new tooth will replace the old one within a day.

 

Source: https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-sharks-2292020

Name:

Common: Llama

Scientific: Lama glama

 

Characteristics: Llamas have a typical camel-like body shape, but they do not have humps. They have long necks, slender limbs, and rounded muzzles. They have protruding lower front teeth, and their upper lip is split. Llamas are domestic animals used by the peoples of the Andes Mountains. 

 

An interesting fact: Llamas are very social animals. However, in disputes, they will spit at each other. They are known for spitting at humans.

 

Source: https://animals.net/llama/

Name:

Common: Chicken

Scientific: Gallus gallus domesticus

 

Characteristics: An adult male is called a rooster and an adult female is called a hen. Roosters can usually be differentiated from hens by their striking long flowing tails, and shiny, pointed and colourful feathers on their necks and backs. The males also have a larger comb on their heads than the females. 

 

An interesting fact: An average chicken can live for 5 to 10 years. The world's oldest known chicken was a hen which died of heart failure at the age of 16 years according to the Guinness World Records.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken

Name:

Common: Plantain squirrel

Scientific: Callosciurus notatus

 

Characteristics: Plantain squirrel is greyish/brown with a chestnut belly and a black and white stripe on the side. It is very quick and agile in trees, able to jump from trees to trees. They can be found in forests, parks and gardens.

 

An interesting fact: Plantain squirrel can eat fruits much bigger than itself, examples: mangoes, jackfruit and coconuts. Fruit farmers consider them to be pests.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantain_squirrel

Name:

Common: Penguin

Scientific: Spheniscidae

 

Characteristics: Penguins have black bodies and white bellies. With their stiff flippers, webbed feet and sleek shape, they are expert swimmers. They huddle together in large colonies that protect them from predators and provide warmth. 

 

An interesting fact: Penguins spend most of their lives in the ocean and do almost all their hunting for krill, squid and crabs underwater.

 

Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/facts/penguins-1

Name:

Common: Mandarin Orange Tree

Scientific: Citrus Reticulata

 

Characteristics: Mandarin orange is a small citrus tree fruit. The tree trunk and major branches have thorns. Its leaves are shiny, green, and rather small. Mandarin orange fruits are smaller and flatter than the common oranges. Their flesh colour is orange. Its skin is thin and loose, so they are easier to peel. They taste sweeter than the common orange. 

 

An interesting fact: During Chinese New Year, mandarin oranges are considered symbols of good fortune. They are displayed as decoration and presented as gifts to friends and relatives.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandarin_orange

Name:

Common: African Baobab 

Scientific: Adansonia Digitata

 

Characteristics: African Baobabs are commonly described as “upside down trees” for their chubby branches that resemble roots. They are known to store water in their swollen trunks and can grow to an enormous girth of 7 to 11m in diameter.   

 

An interesting fact: The African Baobabs are known as the “Tree of Life”. The fruit is said to help fight fevers and settle the stomach.

 

Source: https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/stayhomewithgb/articles-infographics/stars-of-the-gardens/african-baobab.html 

Name:

Common: Woolly Cactus

Scientific: Vatricania Guentheri

 

Characteristics: With its golden spines on pale green erect stems, the Woolly Cactus has adapted to survive the harsh conditions in the deserts. It got its name from soft hairs that develop on the sides of the stem.

 

An interesting fact: When the flowers are in bloom, they smell like rotting cabbage and this attracts bats.

 

Source: https://www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/en/stayhomewithgb/articles-infographics/stars-of-the-gardens/woolly-cactus.html

Name:

Common: Canary Date Palm Tree

Scientific: Phoenix canariensis

 

Characteristics: Canary Date Palm Tree has a gray-brown stout trunk covered with old leaf bases in unique diamond shapes. The trunk is topped with a big crown of 45-50 large dark green leaves with 80-100 leaflets in two rows. Canary Date Palm Tree is a massive palm tree that can grow up to 18m tall and 6m wide. It is native to Canary Islands and North Africa.

 

An interesting fact: When pruned correctly, the bottom of the crown has a so-called nut that looks like a pineapple, so it is also known as the Pineapple Palm.

 

Source: https://www.allaboutpalmtrees.com/canary-island-date-palm-tree

 

Name:

Common: Common Red-Stem Fig

Scientific: Ficus variegate

 

Characteristics: The Common Red-Stem Fig is a fairly common species native to Singapore, and can grow up to 30m in height, supported by very prominent buttresses at the base. Its pear-shaped fruits are found in dense clusters on the trunk and main branches, and turn from green to rosy red when ripe.

 

Source: https://www.sg/sgbicentennial/the-bicentennial-experience/seed/common-red-stem-fig/

 

An interesting fact: Chewing the sweet bark or eating the fruits can cure diarrhea. 

 

Source: http://www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/plants/others/ficus/variegata.htm

Name:

Common: Talipot Palm

Scientific: Corypha umbraculifera

 

Characteristics: Talipot Palm t is one of the largest palms in the world. It can reach heights up to 25m with stems up to 1.3m in diameter. It is a fan palm, with large leaves up to 5m in diameter, with a leaf stem up to 4m, and up to 130 leaflets. The talipot palm bears the largest flower clusters of any plant, consisting of millions of small flowers formed on a branched stalk that grows at the top of the trunk. 

 

An interesting fact: The talipot palm only flowers once when it is 30 to 80 years old. It takes a year for the fruit to mature, producing thousands of round, yellow-green fruit. The plant dies after fruiting.

 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corypha_umbraculifera

Daisies close their petals when the sun goes down at night.

Source: https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/marguerite-daisy/

Characteristics:
This species is a neat rounded evergreen shrub it will reach a height of 2m with a spread of 1.5m. The flowers are small, scarlet and tubular; they are borne throughout the summer in dense ball-like clusters. The leaves are about 10cm long and dark green; they are followed by cherry-sized black fruit.

Source:
https://candidegardening.com/GB/plants/fc9589d3ef15d6a222fea3958baab745

An interesting fact:
The genus name comes from the Sanskrit word “Ikvana”, which is the name of a Malaysian deity, or it was derived from the name “Iswara”, which represents a Malabar deity. The common names  “Jungle Flame” and “Flame of the Woods” comes from its bright red color.

Source: https://www.atozflowers.com/flower/ixora/ 

Name:

Common: Sunflower

Scientific: Helianthus

 

Characteristics: Sunflower is the only flower with “flower” in its name. Sunflower buds follow the movement of the sun across the sky, facing east in the morning and west in the afternoon. Sunflowers grow fast and tall, and the tallest sunflower is 8m tall. Sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.

Source: https://www.spinfold.com/20-facts-about-sunflowers/

An interesting fact: Each giant flower is actually made up of thousands of small flowers. 

Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/a32638/sunflower-fun-facts/

Characteristics:
The Moon Orchid is characterized by bright white flowers. These flowers attract pollinators, such as bees, needed for reproduction. These flowers can also appear as a light purple or pink.

An interesting fact:
Orchids are the largest family of flowering plants. With more than 25,000 species, there are more orchids on the planet than mammals and birds! Mature Orchids grow upside down. The blooms are so heavy that the plants end up growing upside down. Long live the orchid. Orchids can live up to 100 years!

Name:

Common: Orchid, Orchidaceae

Scientific: Too many to name.

 

Characteristics: The orchid flower consists of 3 main components - the sepals, the petals, and the column. The outermost part of the flower is formed by three sepals, which are leaf-shaped structures which look like petals. The innermost part of the flower are formed by three petals. The centre petal is the lip, which is the most eye-catching part of the bloom, and serves as a landing pad for bees and other pollinators. The column is the waxy tube-like centre of the flower, which holds the reproductive parts. 

Source: https://orchidrepublic.com/blogs/flower-care/orchid-care-orchid-plant-parts 

 

An interesting fact: Singapore's National Flower is a variety of orchid, known as Vanda Miss Joaquim. It was chosen for its vibrant colours, hardiness and resilience – qualities that reflect the Singapore spirit.

Source: https://www.nparks.gov.sg/activities/family-time-with-nature/recommended-activities/vanda-ms-joaquim 

Name:

Common: Bengal clockvine, Bengal trumpet, blue skyflower, blue thunbergia, blue trumpetvine, clockvine, skyflower and skyvine.

Scientific: Thunbergia grandiflora

 

Characteristics: Bengal Trumpet is a long-lived, vigorous, climbing plant. The trumpet-shaped flowers are borne in elongated clusters on long, drooping branches. They are large and showy (3-8 cm long and 6-8 cm across) with five pale blue, violet or mauve coloured petal lobes and a pale yellow or whitish coloured throat. Flowering occurs throughout the year.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunbergia_grandiflora

 

An interesting fact: Bengal Trumpet has become a serious environmental weed in Australia on disturbed land along watercourses and in the wet tropics where it smothers other vegetation. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunbergia_grandiflora

Name:

Common: Sakura, Cherry Blossom

Scientific: Cerasus L.

 

Characteristics: Sakura are white, light pink flowers in clusters bloom. Its petals are very soft. Sakura are richly symbolic and have been used often in Japanese art, manga, anime, and film, as well as at musical performances for ambient effect.

 

An interesting fact: Sakura is Japan’s national flower. The blossoms and leaves are edible and can be used as food ingredients. 

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom

Name:

Common: Camellia, Japanese Camellia, Rose of Winter

Scientific: Camellia japonica L.

 

Characteristics: Camellia flowers’ colour ranges from white to all shades of pink and red. The flower size also ranges from 2 to 5 inches in diameter. The flowers on each plant will usually last 3 to 4 weeks.

Source: https://worldoffloweringplants.com/camellia-japonica-japanese-camellia-rose-winter/

 

An interesting fact: Camellia can be used to make tea. Its processed leaves show aromatic fragrance.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_japonica

Name:

Common: Marguerite, Paris Daisy

Scientific: Argyranthemum frutescens

 

Characteristics: Marguerites have green, woody stems and typically produce dainty white flowers, though pink and yellow varieties also exist. The plants are usually around 60cm tall, although they can grow up to 1 metre in height if planted in suitable conditions.

Source: https://www.britannica.com/plant/marguerite-plant

 

An interesting fact: A daisy is actually two flowers in one. The white petals count as one flower and the cluster of tiny yellow petals at the centre is another. 

Source: https://worldoffloweringplants.com/top-10-facts-daisies/

Scientific: Ixora coccinea

Characteristics:
Ixora varieties offer a nice selection of colors including bright red, orange, yellow, pink, and white. Some ixora types grow to 10-15 feet tall and 4-10 feet wide when unpruned, but they can handle shearing to maintain them as a smaller hedge.

 
An interesting fact:
In Asia, Ixora has been used for generations for its medicinal qualities to treat diarrhea and fever.

Source:
https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornamentals/ixora.html

Scientific: Plumeria rubra

Characteristics:
Small tree, up to 8m height. Leaves thick and leathery. Cut surfaces of plant produce poisonous milky sap.
 
An interesting fact:
Frangipanis don’t contain any nectar, and therefore deceive the insects that come to pollinate it by its sweet, fragant scent.

Source:
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/0/3074

Scientific: Tabebuia rosea

Characteristics:
The Tabebuia rosea is a perennial tree in Singapore that grows to about 18 to 35 m tall. The flowers are five-petalled, trumpet-shaped and grow to about 5 to 8 cm. These bloomed flowers last for several days before they start to wilt.

An interesting fact:
The fruits are long pods which split open to release winged seeds that rotate like a helicopter to slow their descend, aiding dispersal.
 

Source:
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparksbuzz/issue-41-vol-2-2019/facts/trumpet-tree

Scientific: Cocos nucifera

Characteristics:
This tree grows 60-100 feet tall and 20-30 feet wide with huge leaves to 15 feet long. Coconut fruits hang in clusters under and among leaf bases. Immature fruits range in color from green to yellow or red, but all eventually turn brown.
 
An interesting fact:
Coconut husk can also be used as a mosquito repellent. Preferably in homes coconut husk can be burnt in rooms before bed time to repel mosquitoes. Coconut husk is natural, for this reason the smoke produced from burning is considered harmless.
 

Source:
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/tree/coconut-palm/

Scientific: Mangifera indica

Characteristics:
This tree can grow to 35 m tall, with a dense rounded crown of dark green leathery leaves, and rough, shallowly fissured bark. Its fruit is round to oblong in shape, up to 20 cm long and 10 cm wide, and ripens from green to yellow or orange.
 
An interesting fact:
It takes about 4 to 6 years for a tree to bear fruit.

 

Source:
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/heritage-trees/ht-2016-274

Scientific: Bougainvillea glabra

Characteristics:
It is an evergreen woody climber which can grow up to 7 meters. Its small, cream-coloured flowers are trumpet shaped and occur in threes. Large colourful bracts, commonly mistaken for petals, surround these and help to attract pollinators. Common colours of these bracts include magenta, purple, white, orange and crimson.
 
An interesting fact:
It’s not the flowers that make this plant so colourful, it’s actually the magenta bracts. The flowers are just tiny and white.

 

Source:
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nparksbuzz/issue-38-vol-3-2018/conservation/bougainvillea-colouring-our-streets

Scientific: Rhopalocera

Characteristics:
The wings, bodies, and legs, like those of moths, are covered with dustlike scales that come off when the animal is handled. Unlike moths, butterflies are active during the day and are usually brightly coloured or strikingly patterned. The most distinctive physical features of the butterfly are its club-tipped antennae and its habit of holding the wings vertically over the back when at rest.

An interesting fact:
Butterflies have four separate wings. The wings closest to its head are called the forewings, while those in the rear are called the hindwings. Thanks to strong muscles in the butterfly’s thorax, all four wings move up and down in a figure-eight pattern during flight. 

 

Source:
https://www.britannica.com/animal/butterfly-insect

Scientific: Equus ferus caballus

Characteristics:
Pony, any of several breeds of small horses standing less than 147 cm or 58 inches high and noted for gentleness and endurance. Ponies have thicker manes and tails. Their hooves tend to be tougher. They are heavier boned and shorter legged in proportion to their bodies compared to horses.

An interesting fact:
Ponies are incredibly strong for their size. They can pull or carry heavy loads with more strength than a horse, relative to their size. 

 

Source:
https://www.thesprucepets.com/the-difference-between-horses-and-ponies-1886998

Scientific: Larus dominicanus

Characteristics:
A great deal of diversity between different gull species, with the smallest being the Little Gull (120 g and 29 cm) and the largest being the Great Black-beaked Gull (1.75 kg and 75 cm). A small claw halfway up their lower leg enables them to sit and roost on high ledges without being blown off.

An interesting fact: 
Seagulls’ intelligence is clearly demonstrated by a range of different feeding behaviours, such as dropping hard-shelled molluscs onto rocks so that they break open so they can eat them, and following ploughs in fields where they know upturned grubs and other food sources will be plentiful.

Source:
https://onekindplanet.org/animal/seagull/

Scientific: Columbidae

Characteristics: 
The pigeon’s flight muscles make them a bulky bird, and they have a small beak with two fleshy cere near the face. They have a ring of skin around their eyes. They have short beaks, short legs, and tiny heads on a long neck. They come in in an incredible variety of colors and patterns.

An interesting fact: 
Both female and male pigeons share responsibility of caring for and raising young. Both sexes take turn incubating the eggs and both feed the chicks ‘pigeon milk’ – a special secretion from the lining of the crop which both sexes produce.

Source:
https://onekindplanet.org/animal/pigeon/

Scientific: Acridotheres tristis

Characteristics:
Common myna has dark brown body, white-tipped tail and white patch on the bottom side of the wings (visible during the flight). Head, throat and upper part of the breasts are covered with black feathers. Eyes are encircled with bare yellow skin.

An interesting fact: 
Common myna produces various songs that consist of whistling, squeaking and gurgling sounds. Captive birds are able to mimic humans' speech.

Source:
https://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/common_myna_facts/1658/

Lady Finger is a type of green vegetable, long finger like, having a small tip at the tapering end. Its head shows a bulge, lighter green in shade, which is often removed as an inedible portion. The cross section cut okra shows white colored round seeds spread entirely inside the vegetable.

Interesting Fact:
Just one of the many names given to okra pods in English-speaking countries (Great Britain first and foremost). In fact, the slender, delicately tapered pods recall the shape of a woman’s fingers. 

Characteristics: 
They are usually red, scarlet, or yellow, though green and purple varieties do exist, and they vary in shape from almost spherical to oval and elongate to pear-shaped. Each fruit contains at least two cells of small seeds surrounded by jellylike pulp.

Interesting Fact:
Believe it or not, tomatoes aren’t always red. They can be yellow, pink, purple, black and even white.

Characteristics:
Kangkong leaves are medium to large in size and lanceolate or arrowhead-shaped, averaging 10-20 in length and 2-8 centimeters in diameter. The smooth, long green leaves grow in an alternate pattern and form on hollow stems that can grow up to 2 to 3 meters in length.

Interesting Fact:
Water spinach is a powerhouse of nutrients that benefit your body as well as your skin and brain. It contains abundant quantities of water, iron, vitamin C, vitamin A and other nutrients and can be eaten cooked or raw. It is mostly used in salads as well as other dishes to boost their nutrient content.

Characteristics: 
This plant is a perennial herb or shrub growing up to 2 or 2.5 meters tall. It has an upright, branching stem, sometimes with a woody base. The leaves are oppositely arranged. The blades are up to 8 to 10 centimeters long, oval in shape with sharply toothed edges, and rough-textured or wrinkly on the upper surfaces.

Interesting Fact:
The boiled juice or a tea made from the leaves or the whole plant is taken to relieve fever and other symptoms. It is also used for dysentery, pain, and liver disorders. A tea of the leaves is taken to help control diabetes in Peru and other areas.

Characteristics: 
Coriander is a typical annual herb that can reach heights of growth between 30 and 130 cm (12 and 51 inches) depending on the site conditions. The root of the plant has a light brown to almost whitish main root with only a few lateral roots. On closer look, the coriander root is reminiscent of the roots of parsley or wild carrots. The whole plant smells very noticeable due to the aromatic essential oils. Furthermore, a slight bug-like odor can be detected.

The leaves of coriander have a different shape depending on age. While the older coriander leaves are typically fragile and distinctly notched, the young leaves appear round and slightly stilted. They have a distinctly rich green to light green color. The bottom of the leaves is usually characterized by a wax-like layer. The hollow stem is slightly ribbed, stands upright and has a green color that can turn reddish-purple at the time of flowering. The stems usually form numerous side stems, so that the coriander looks very branched.

 

Interesting Fact:
It's been around for a while. Coriander has been around for centuries and is believed to be one of the oldest herbs used today 

 

Lady Finger is a type of green vegetable, long finger like, having a small tip at the tapering end. Its head shows a bulge, lighter green in shade, which is often removed as an inedible portion. The cross section cut okra shows white colored round seeds spread entirely inside the vegetable.

Interesting Fact:
Just one of the many names given to okra pods in English-speaking countries (Great Britain first and foremost). In fact, the slender, delicately tapered pods recall the shape of a woman’s fingers. 

Characteristics: 
They are usually red, scarlet, or yellow, though green and purple varieties do exist, and they vary in shape from almost spherical to oval and elongate to pear-shaped. Each fruit contains at least two cells of small seeds surrounded by jellylike pulp.

Interesting Fact:
Believe it or not, tomatoes aren’t always red. They can be yellow, pink, purple, black and even white.

 

Interesting Fact:
It's not the flowers that make this plant so colourful, it's actually the magenta bracts. 

Characteristics: 
It grows in a bushy, rounded form with 4" long, glossy, dark evergreen leaves and summer blooms of 4 petaled red flowers in 5" wide cymes. The fruits are round and dark purple to black. Ixora prefers full sun in moist, well-drained, acidic but organically rich soils.

 

Interesting Fact:
The name 'Ixora' is a genus name, and it is from the family Rubiaceae, the family of madder and coffee, while commonly grown species in the genus include Ixora coccinea and Ixora chinensis

Characteristics: 
Elephants are the largest living land animals, characterized by their long trunk (elongated upper lip and nose), columnar legs, ivory tusks, and huge head with wide flat ears.

 

Interesting Fact:
They're the world's largest land animal.

Characteristics: 
They have a robust, cylindrical body with a large head, relatively short legs, and short tail. The characteristic feature of these animals is a large horn in the middle of their faces; some species have a second, smaller horn

Interesting Fact:
Rhinos have poor vision.

Characteristics: 
Ostriches are large, flightless birds that have long legs and a long neck that protrudes from a round body. Males have bold black-and-white coloring that they use to attract females. Females, on the other hand, are light brown.

 
Interesting Fact:
Ostriches are bigger than any other bird in the world.

Characteristics: 
The cheetah is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being 93 and 98 km/h, and as such has several adaptations for speed, including a light build, long thin legs and a long tail

 

Interesting Fact:
Cheetahs Don't Roar, They Meow and Purr.

 

Interesting Fact:
Meerkats are immune to venom.

 

Interesting Fact:
Meerkats are immune to venom.

Characteristics: 
Tree kangaroos live in lowland and mountainous rainforests in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the far north of Queensland, Australia. They have adapted to life in the trees, with shorter legs and stronger forelimbs for climbing, giving them somewhat of the appearance of a cross between a kangaroo and a lemur.

 

Interesting Fact:
All species of tree kangaroo that occur in West Papua and Papua New Guinea are classified as vulnerable, endangered.

 

Interesting Fact:
Baby baboons travel on their mother’s back. A newborn is about the size of a full-grown guinea pig.

Characteristics: 
Zebras have long, thin legs for ease of movement and quick, efficient escapes from predators. Zebras have horse like bodies, however, their manes are made of short, erect hair, their tails are tufted at the tip and their coats are striped

 

Interesting Fact:
Their stripes help camouflage them.

 

Characteristics: 
Elephants are the largest living land animals, characterized by their long trunk (elongated upper lip and nose), columnar legs, ivory tusks, and huge head with wide flat ears.

 

Interesting Fact:
They're the world's largest land animal.

Red Lory

Eos bornea

The red lory is a species of parrot in the family Psittaculidae. It is the second-most commonly kept lory in captivity, after the rainbow lorikeet.

A red lory often hangs upside down from its cage.

https://www.singing-wings-aviary.com/red-lory.htm

Scarlet Macaw

Ara macao

The scarlet macaw is a large red, yellow, and blue Central and South American parrot, a member of a large group of Neotropical parrots called macaws. It is native to humid evergreen forests of tropical Central and South America.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_macaw

The Scarlet Macaw can out live humans as they are known to live up to 80 years in captivity and 40-50 years in the wild.

https://easyscienceforkids.com/scarlet-macaw/

Pigeon

Scientific Name:

Columbidae

Pigeons are gentle, plump, small-billed birds with a skin saddle (cere) between the bill and forehead. All pigeons strut about with a characteristic bobbing of the head. Because of their long wings and powerful flight muscles, they are strong, swift fliers. 

https://www.britannica.com/animal/pigeon

They mate for life.

https://www.britannica.com/animal/pigeon

Spotted Dove

Spilopelia chinensis

The spotted dove is a small and somewhat long-tailed pigeon that is a common resident breeding bird across its native range on the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. The species has been introduced to many parts of the world and feral populations have become established.

The Spotted Dove is also known as the Spotted Turtle Dove.

https://identify.whatbird.com/obj/266/_/Spotted_Dove.aspx

 

Characteristics:
Cacti generally have thick herbaceous or woody chlorophyll-containing stems. Cacti can be distinguished from other succulent plants by the presence of areoles, small cushionlike structures with trichomes (plant hairs) and, in almost all species, spines or barbed bristles (glochids).

 

Interesting Fact:
The Thorns are Actually Spines. 

Cockatiel

Nymphicus hollandicus

The cockatiel, also known as the quarrion, is a small parrot that is a member of its own branch of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia. They are prized as household pets and companion parrots throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed. 

Male cockatiels are better are talking and whistling than female cockatiels. 

https://www.petlandkennesaw.com/10-interesting-facts-cockatiel/

 

Interesting Fact:

A paste of the stem bark relieves body swelling. Stem juice benefits if applied on goiter.

Celery

Apium graveolens

Celery is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, leaves or hypocotyl are eaten and used in cooking.

Celery seed is also used as a spice and its extracts have been used in herbal medicine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celery

Characteristics:
Kapok tree can reach 230 feet in height and 9 to 10 feet in diameter (trunk). It can grow 13 feet in height per year. Kapok tree has umbrella-shaped crown made of numerous branches arranged in horizontal tiers. Branches are covered with thorns.

 

Interesting Fact:
Seeds, leaves and bark of kapok tree are used in medical purposes in treatment of fever, asthma, dysentery and renal ailments. Bark can be also used in treatment of diabetes and headache.

Characteristics:
This tree can be recognised by its deeply fissured dark brown bark and unique perpendicular branching. It is highly robust and can grow even in poorly drained, clayey soils. 

 

Interesting Fact:
The wood of the tembusu is hard, heavy, highly durable and termite-resistant.

Characteristics:
Large evergreen tree, able to grow up to 10 - 35 m tall, and sometimes 50 m tall in its natural habitat. Bark is brown or grey and fissured, girth size can reach up to 1.5 m wide, has small and short buttresses.

 

Interesting Fact:

Species in this genus are sometimes referred to as kola tree or kola nut for the caffeine-containing fruit produced by the trees that is often used as a flavoring ingredient in beverages.

Characteristics:
Kapok tree can reach 230 feet in height and 9 to 10 feet in diameter (trunk). It can grow 13 feet in height per year. Kapok tree has umbrella-shaped crown made of numerous branches arranged in horizontal tiers. Branches are covered with thorns.

 

Interesting Fact:
Seeds, leaves and bark of kapok tree are used in medical purposes in treatment of fever, asthma, dysentery and renal ailments. Bark can be also used in treatment of diabetes and headache.

Characteristics:
This tree can be recognised by its deeply fissured dark brown bark and unique perpendicular branching. It is highly robust and can grow even in poorly drained, clayey soils. 

 

Interesting Fact:
The wood of the tembusu is hard, heavy, highly durable and termite-resistant.

Characteristics:
Large evergreen tree, able to grow up to 10 - 35 m tall, and sometimes 50 m tall in its natural habitat. Bark is brown or grey and fissured, girth size can reach up to 1.5 m wide, has small and short buttresses.

 

Interesting Fact:

Species in this genus are sometimes referred to as kola tree or kola nut for the caffeine-containing fruit produced by the trees that is often used as a flavoring ingredient in beverages.

 

Characteristics:
Cynometra cauliflora is an attractive shrub or small tree with a rather dense crown and zigzag twigs, growing from 3 - 15 metres tall. It flowers and produces large seedpods along the trunk of the tree, most commonly near the base 

 

Interesting Fact:
The fruits are reported to have useful medicinal properties too and are used in folk medicinal preparation.

Characteristics:
Acai palms consist of 4–8 slender gray-brown stems, each of which is about 25 metres (82 feet) tall and generally no greater than 20 cm (about 8 inches) in diameter. The stems bear ringlike leaf scars and are topped with a crown of 9–15 compound leaves; the leaves measure about 1.2–4 metres (4–13 feet) long.

 

Interesting Fact:
Acai is most commonly used for arthritis, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction (ED), weight loss and obesity, "detoxification," aging skin, metabolic syndrome, and for improving general health.

Carrot

Daucus carota

The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist. They are a domesticated form of the wild carrot, Daucus carota, native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Persia and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds.

Usually orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrot

Eggplant

Solanum melongena

Eggplant, aubergine or brinjal is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Solanum melongena is grown worldwide for its edible fruit. Most commonly purple, the spongy, absorbent fruit is used in several cuisines. Typically used as a vegetable in cooking, it is a berry by botanical definition.

Eggplant is grown worldwide for its edible fruit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eggplant

Japanese Cucumber

Cucurbitaceae

Characteristic:

Japanese cucumbers are cylindrical, slender, and long, ranging 15 to 30 centimeters in length. Its skin is thin, dark forest green, and smooth with longitudinal grooves. The inner flesh has a few edible seeds and is crisp and succulent with bright, melon-like flavors.

Japanese cucumbers contain ninety-six percent water.

https://specialtyproduce.com/produce/Japanese_Cucumber_497.php

Potato

Solanum tuberosum

A potato is a vegetable, the Solanum tuberosum. It is a small plant with large leaves. The part of the potato that people eat is a tuber that grows under the ground. A potato contains a lot of starch and other carbohydrates. Potato usually has a light-brown or yellowish skin and is white or yellow inside.

If the potato gets light on it, the tuber turns green and will be poisonous.

https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato

Capsicum

Capsicum annuum 

Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their chili pepper or bell pepper fruit.

Birds are immune to the spice in hot peppers.

https://achs.edu/blog/2016/05/07/5-facts-about-capsicum/

Scientific Name: 
Canis lupus familiaris

Characteristic:
The West Highland White Terrier, commonly known as the Westie, is a breed of dog from Scotland with a distinctive white harsh coat with a somewhat soft white undercoat. It is a medium-sized terrier, although with longer legs than other Scottish breeds of terrier.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Highland_White_Terrier

An interesting Fact:  They started out as ratters and were used to clear out mines, farms, and barns of rats or other vermin.

Source: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/68720/9-facts-about-west-highland-white-terriers

Scientific Name:
Elephas maximus sumatrensis

Characteristic: 
In general, Asian elephants are smaller than African elephants and have the highest body point on the head. The tip of their trunk has one finger-like process. Their back is convex or level. Females are usually smaller than males, and have short or no tusks.

Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumatran_elephant

An interesting Fact:
They can weigh up to 5tonnes and reach 9ft in height.

Source: https://onekindplanet.org/animal/elephant-sumatran/

Scientific Name: Tragulidae

Characteristic: Chevrotains, or mouse-deer, are small even-toed ungulates that make up the family. Chevrotains are the smallest hoofed mammals in the world. The Asian species weigh between 0.7 and 8.0 kg, while the African chevrotain is considerably larger at 7–16 kg. With an average length of 45 cm (18 in) and an average height of 30 cm (12 in), the Java mouse-deer is the smallest extant (living) ungulate or hoofed mammal, as well as the smallest extant even-toed ungulate.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrotain

An interesting Fact: They’re not deer, nor are they mice. They do share a suborder with deer (Ruminantia), but have their own family, called Tragulidae.

Source: https://didyouknowfacts.com/7-smol-and-cute-facts-about-the-mouse-deer-chevrotain/

Scientific Name: 
Equus ferus caballus

Characteristic: 
Average breed heights for a fully-grown Falabella today are between 71 and 86 cm. The breed is proportioned similarly to horses, other than in size. They are similar to Thoroughbreds or Arabs in their conformation, with a sleek coat and a slim frame. The Falabella’s body is small and compact. The breed also inherited some cob-like features from pony bloodlines, including sturdy bone, and a thicker hair coat, particularly the mane, tail and around the fetlocks. The head may be slightly larger and the neck is often stouter by comparison with a normal-sized horse, but overall, the animal is not unusually or abnormally proportioned.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falabella

An interesting Fact: 
Falabella weights as much as a large dog.

Source: https://karinabrez.com/blogs/news/16-amazing-falabella-horse-facts

Scientific Name: 
Macrochelys temminckii

Characteristic:
The alligator snapping turtle is characterized by a large, heavy head, and a long, thick shell with three dorsal ridges of large scales (osteoderms), giving it a primitive appearance reminiscent of some of the plated dinosaurs.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alligator_snapping_turtle

An interesting Fact: 
Alligator snappers can stay submerged for up to 50 minutes before they need to come up to breathe. This may seem like a long time, but it's actually less than many other turtle species.

Source: https://www.stlzoo.org/animals/abouttheanimals/reptiles/turtlesandtortoises/alligatorsnappingturtle