| hedgehog |
a very small animal with a pointed nose and a very short tail. Hedgehogs have brown and yellow fur with spines that stick out and protect them when they roll into a ball. They make tunnels in rows of bushes called hedges. Hedgehogs are insectivores; they are mammals that eat insects. Different kinds of hedgehogs live in Europe, Asia, and Africa. [1/2 definitions] |
| husky2 |
(often capitalized) a breed of dog. Huskies are strong, have thick fur, and are often raised to pull sleds in arctic regions. |
| impala |
an African antelope with long legs and reddish brown fur. Male impalas have long, curved horns. Impalas can jump up to ten feet in the air, higher than any other kind of antelope. |
| jaguar |
a large mammal with short yellow fur and black rings. Jaguars are carnivores that hunt or fish for food. They live in the southern United States and Central and South America. Jaguars are closely related to lions, tigers, and other big cats. They are sometimes called panthers. |
| kit2 |
the young of certain fur-bearing animals, such as beavers, foxes, and rabbits. [1/2 definitions] |
| koala |
a mammal with gray fur, round ears, and a short black nose. Koalas are marsupials and live in trees. The female has a pouch in her belly where she carries her baby. Koalas are only found in Australia. They are sometimes called "koala bears," but they are not related to true bears. |
| leopard |
a large mammal with short yellow or gray fur and black spots. Leopards with very dark fur are called black leopards or panthers. They live in southern Asia and Africa but are threatened or endangered in all their habitats. Leopards are carnivores and are closely related to lions, tigers, and other big cats that roar. |
| lion |
a large, very strong mammal with short tan fur. Male lions have a mane of longer hair around the neck and head. Lions live in parts of Africa and Asia. They are carnivores and are closely related to tigers, leopards, and other big cats that roar. |
| lynx |
a mammal in the cat family with soft, spotted fur, pointed ears, and a short tail. Several kinds of lynx live in Europe, North America, and Asia. They are carnivores and are related to other wild cats. The average lynx is about two to four times the size of a house cat. |
| mammal |
a warm-blooded animal with fur or hair on its skin and a skeleton inside its body. Mammal mothers produce milk to feed their babies. Most mammals have four legs or two arms and two legs. Dogs, cows, elephants, mice, whales, and humans are all mammals. |
| mammoth |
a very large extinct mammal closely related to elephants. Mammoths were much bigger than elephants, and had shaggy black fur and long tusks that curved upward. Several kinds of mammoths lived in the Northern Hemisphere until the end of the last Ice Age. [1/2 definitions] |
| mat1 |
a thick mass of tangled hair or fur. [1/6 definitions] |
| mink |
a small mammal with dark brown fur, a long body, short legs, and a bushy tail. Mink live near water, where they hunt water animals. One kind of mink lives in Europe and Asia; another kind lives in North America. Mink are closely related to polecats, ferrets, and other weasels. [2 definitions] |
| mole3 |
a small animal with tiny eyes and very soft fur that lives underground in tunnels. Moles are insectivores; they are mammals that eat insects. Different kinds of moles are found in Europe, Asia, and North America. [1/2 definitions] |
| molt |
to shed or cast off skin, feathers, fur, or horns, and grow a new covering. |
| moth |
an insect called the clothes moth. It lays its eggs in wool or other fabric or fur. When the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the fabric and damage it. [1/2 definitions] |
| mountain lion |
a common name for a puma, a large wild cat with tan fur. Mountain lions live in many parts of North and South America. They are carnivorous mammals. Mountain lions are also called cougars or panthers. |
| mouse |
a very small mammal with gray or brown fur. Mice are rodents. They have pointed faces, round ears, and long tails with no fur. Different kinds of mice are found in many parts of the world. [1/2 definitions] |
| muff |
a tube made of warm, heavy cloth or fur. People hold their hands inside the muff to keep them warm. |
| musk ox |
a large mammal with long, dark fur and wide horns. Musk oxen live in the northern regions of North America and Greenland. They have wide hooves for walking on snow. Musk oxen are closely related to cattle. |
| muskrat |
a North American rodent that lives in and near water. Muskrats are about one foot long with brown fur and a long tail. They make burrows in the banks of streams or build reed huts in marshes and ponds. |