Planet Zoo

Found in grasslands, rainforests and dried scrublands, the nine-banded armadillo (or Dasypus novemcinctus) is a species of armoured mammal native to North, Central, and South America. There are nine subspecies of nine-banded armadillo spread throughout its range, with a lot of variation in appearance between them. Generally, nine-banded armadillos are covered by a mottled pink-grey carapace made up of large plates across their shoulders and hips, and nine characteristic segmented plates over the torso, which merges into their long, plated tail.

Found in the wood, grass and scrubland of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, the maned wolf (or Chrysocyon brachyurus) is a species of canid named for the dark, thick mane running down the centre of its neck to its shoulder blades. It has long, thin limbs and an overall lanky appearance. The maned wolf is covered in red, shaggy fur on its body, and short, black fur on its legs. Male and female maned wolves are similar in size and appearance, standing 73cm to 95cm tall at the shoulder.

The emu (or Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the world’s second largest species of flightless bird, only dwarfed by the common ostrich. It lives in the savannahs and woodlands of Australia. The emu has a long, bald neck which may have a blue tint, shaggy brown feathers that begin partway down the neck, and long grey legs with large three-toed feet. Emus have a grey beak, orange eyes and tufty feathers on the top of their head. Males and females look alike, although female emus are generally larger and heavier than males.

The caracal (or Caracal caracal) is a small wildcat living in the savannahs, marshes, semi-deserts and wood and scrublands of Africa and the Middle East. Its coat is tan-red with a paler underside and the body is stocky with large feet and a comparatively short tail. It has large pointed ears with long, black tufts protruding from the tips, as well as dark facial markings above the eyes and sides of their lips. Caracal males are slightly larger than females, but sexes otherwise look alike.

The blue wildebeest (or Connochaetes taurinus) is a large antelope native to Southern Africa. It is also known as the common or white-bearded wildebeest, or brindled gnu. They have a pale grey or brown coat with dark stripes across their neck, shoulders, and chest. Blue wildebeest have a long black tail and a long black mane, which either stands up or drapes over the neck depending on the subspecies. The beard trailing under the neck is white. The species is sexually dimorphic, with males being larger than females, but both males and females have distinctive, L-shaped horns.