by Rose Quarels

What’s your name?  Are you sure?   Of course you are.  But how well do you know the names of the animals at the zoo? Come on—let’s hop on the train and take a trip through the zoo for a Zoo I.Q.!  Whooo…Whooo!   Whooo…Whooo! 
 
Monkeying Around

Our first stop is the monkeys.  But wait a minute…are we sure we’re at the monkey exhibit…or is it the chimpanzee exhibit?  Many people get monkeys and chimpanzees mixed up.  Here are a few ways to tell them apart.

One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a monkey and a chimpanzee is to remember that most monkeys have tails, but chimpanzees don’t.  Also, monkeys are found on several continents—Africa, Asia, South America and North America. In North America, monkeys are native only to the region of Central America.  Chimpanzees are native only to Africa

Snout Mouth

Our next stop is the crocodile farm…or is it the alligator farm?  It’s the crocodile farm.  Although there are exceptions, one way to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile is by looking at the snout.  Alligators usually have wide, U shaped snouts.  This gives alligators a monstrously powerful bite so they can crush even hard turtle shells.  Crocodiles, on the other hand, often have snouts that are narrower and shaped like the letter V.  This shape is more suitable for catching fish, which is one of the crocodile’s favorite meals.
 
Smile Crocodile

But here’s the big secret!  When an alligator’s mouth is closed, you can see a few of the upper teeth but none of the lower teeth.  This is because the alligator’s wide upper jaw covers its lower teeth. But when you look at a crocodile, you can see its upper and lower teeth. Crocodiles have a huge tooth on each side of the lower jaw that pokes up from the bottom of the mouth.  If you see these two teeth, you can be sure you’re looking at a crocodile.  So remember…if you see a toothy smile—it’s a crocodile.

Whooo…Whooo!   Whooo…Whooo!  That’s it for today, folks.  Your Zoo I.Q. ride is over.  How’d you do? Now you’re sure to be an expert at identifying four of the most popular animals at the zoo.