| 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. |
| nutria |
a small mammal with thick brown fur and a long thin tail. Nutrias are rodents closely related to guinea pigs and porcupines. They build burrows near wet areas such as swamps. Nutrias used to only live in South America, but they have spread to much of the United States and Europe. |
| ocelot |
a wild cat with yellow or brown fur and black spots or stripes. Ocelots look like leopards but are smaller. They live in South and Central America, sometimes as far north as Texas. They are carnivorous mammals that eat birds, snakes, and small mammals. |
| opossum |
a small mammal with gray fur, a pointed nose, and a long tail, which it uses to hang from tree branches. The common opossum is the only marsupial that lives in North America. Several other kinds of opossums live in Central and South America. The female opossum carries her young in a pouch in her belly. [1/2 definitions] |
| orangutan |
a large ape that lives in the rain forests of a few south Asian islands. Orangutans have long, red-brown fur and long arms. They spend most of their time in trees. They are a kind of primate. Orangutans are endangered. |
| otter |
a mammal with brown fur, a long body, short legs, and webbed feet. Otters live in the water where they eat fish, frogs, and other water animals. Different kinds of otters are found in most parts of the world. They live in groups and are very playful. Otters are related to skunks, badgers, and other kinds of weasels. |
| panda |
a mammal that has red-brown fur and a long, bushy tail with rings on it. They are closely related to giant pandas, but are smaller and look more like a raccoon. They are also called red pandas or lesser pandas, and they live in southern Asia. [1/2 definitions] |
| panther |
a common name for a puma, a large wild cat with tan fur. Pumas live in many parts of North and South America. They are also called cougars or mountain lions. [1/2 definitions] |
| polar bear |
a large bear with thick white fur that lives in arctic areas. |
| polecat |
a small mammal with dark fur, a long body, and short legs. Polecats are a kind of weasel. They live in Europe, northern Africa, and North America. Domesticated polecats are called ferrets. In North America, a kind of wild polecat is also called a ferret. [1/2 definitions] |
| porcupine |
a small mammal with bristles or spines in its fur. Porcupines are rodents closely related to guinea pigs, but much larger. Some porcupines have quills with barbs that hurt any animal that attacks them. Different kinds of porcupines live in North and South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. |
| prairie dog |
a small rodent with light brown fur. Prairie dogs make burrows and live in large colonies called "towns." Several kinds of prairie dogs live in Mexico and the United States. Prairie dogs are not related to true dogs, but have a cry that sounds like a dog's bark. |
| puma |
a large wild cat with tan or gray fur and no spots. Pumas live in many parts of North and South America. Pumas are carnivorous mammals. They are also called cougars, mountain lions, or panthers. |
| rabbit |
a small mammal with long ears and long back legs for running or jumping. Rabbits have soft fur and a short tail. They are herbivores with long front teeth. Some kinds of rabbits make tunnels or burrows in the ground. Cottontails and hares are kinds of rabbits. |
| raccoon |
a small mammal with brown and gray fur, a long tail with black rings, and a pointed face with black markings that look like a mask. Raccoons eat plants and small animals such as insects and frogs. In towns and cities, they eat garbage. Several kinds of raccoons live in North and South America and on Caribbean islands. |
| reindeer |
a mammal with long legs, a long neck, antlers, and hooves. Reindeer are raised in northern parts of the world for their milk, meat, and fur. They are also sometimes used to pull sleds for transportation. Reindeer are closely related to moose and other kinds of deer. Reindeer are the only deer that have antlers on both males and females. In North America, reindeer are called caribou. |
| ruff |
a ring or collar of hair, fur, or feathers around the neck of an mammal or bird. [1/2 definitions] |
| sable |
a small mammal with very dark brown fur, a long body, and short legs. Sables live in Europe and Asia and are related to weasels. [2/4 definitions] |
| sea otter |
a mammal with thick brown fur, a long body, a flat tail, and short legs. Sea otters live mostly in the Pacific Ocean in areas near the coast of California and Alaska. |
| skin |
the skin and fur removed from an animal. [1/5 definitions] |
| skunk |
a small mammal with black and white fur and a bushy tail. Skunks defend themselves with a spray that smells very bad. They are active at night, when they hunt rodents, insects, and eggs. Several kinds of skunks live in North and South America. They are related to badgers, otters, and other kinds of weasels. [1/2 definitions] |