THE AMERICAS
-Paires
The Americas have a wide variety of biomes. One particular biome is the prairies. During the glacial periods, there were large deposits of rich topsoils. They are now covered with perennial grass. The environment is arid, with hot, dry summers. Hard, dry soils are the basis of the grass, and grass fires sporadically occur. They are generally flat with gradual slopes or small hills. The plants consist mainly of tall grasses and few trees. The annual rainfall is about 10-20 inches. Some plants include the big bluestem grass, Blue Grama Grass, Buffalo Grass, Fleabane, Indian Grass, Milkweed, Purple Coneflower, Stinging Nettle. These plants are generally tall and slender and grow in dense bunches.
One animal in this region is the badger. It has a powerful build with strong legs and sharp claws. It has a pointy nose, strong teeth small head, and short erect ears. They are solitary and fierce. They live for about 20 years and are carnivorous; its sharp teeth are advantageous to hunting squirrels.
A second animal is the swift fox. They are about 5 lbs. They are tanned coloured with large ears and can reach 25 miles per hour. Their diet consists of small animals, insects and berries. The lifespan of the swift fox is about 14 years.
The bobcat weighs about 33lbs. and is 2 feet tall. They have black spots, black streaks, erect ears, and sharp claws and teeth. They are solitary. Their predators are the cougar and puma.
AUSTRALIA
-Rainforest
The Australian rainforest is a very humid area. It has about 250 cm of rainfall a year. The trees can reach more than 164 feet. The tall trees form a canopy, protecting shorter trees and other plants from the harsh sun. The plant life under the canopy have adapted to low leaves of sunlight. Ferns and mosses grow on branches where they can get light.
In the Australian rainforest, a large majority of plants had leaves which were very long and narrow. Some plants include Banksias, Boab, Cabbage Palms, Callistemons, Coolabah, Ghost Gum, Grevilleas, Kangaroo Paw, MacDonnell Ranges Cycad, Melaleucas and Spinifex.
There are 3 species of elephants- savanna, Asian and African forest. Forest elephants are darker than savanna elephants and live in smaller groups. They also have a longer low jaw. They live in dense forests. Since they are smaller they can move more
easily.
Echidnas live to be about 50 years, and are a solitary animal. They burrow in the ground and lay eggs. The echidna has long spikes, sharp claws and a sensitive snout. Their diet consists of ants, termites, earthworms and other insects.
The Northern Brown Bandicoot can be found in low ground cover, possibly in their nest. They will kick dirt over it during rainfall to protect it from the water. They eat invertebrates from the forest floor, rotting trees, or from the ground with their. Their forepaws allow them to dig well. Members of opposite sex are only together during mating time.
