From the tallest animal, to the burrowing rodents and to the high-leaping insect, the animal kingdom offers us with numerous gorgeous-looking G animals.
Goldfish
The Common Goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) is a type of carp and was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated. Up to now, goldfish is still one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish. The average goldfish grows to be about 8 to 13 cm long and may reach up to 4.5 kg. The goldfish has orange scales and long, flowing fins, but if returned to the wild, they go back to their natural colors (green to black) in just a few generations.
There are actually over 125 varieties of goldfish: gold, black, red, and mottled varieties. Also, several unusual varieties have been developed such as; the yellow-gold Lionhead, which has a crimson head and the trailing-finned Celestial, with bulging eyes at the top of its head. Goldfish feeds on tiny animals and plants living in the mud on the pond bed.
Gadwall
The Gadwall (Anas strepera) is a medium-sized, streamlined ducks characterized by its dappled brown-and-black body plumage and light brown head and white wing-patch. Males sports gray-brown plumage with a white belly, and a black rump while females come in spotted light brown plumage, a yellowish bill with dark spots. Gadwalls average 46–56 cm long with a 78–90 cm wingspan. Males are slightly larger than the female, weighing on average 990 g. Gadwalls lives in open wet grassland, ponds and marshes and usually feeds on aquatic vegetation by dabbling for plant food with head submerged. The Gadwall breeds in the central North America, northern areas of Europe and Asia.
Galah
The Galah (Eolophus roseicapilla) also known as the Roseate Cockatoo, Rose-breasted Cockatoo, Galah Cockatoo is found in open habitats in almost all parts of mainland Australia. Known for its distinctive pink and grey plumage, this bird with bold and loud behavior grows to about 35 cm (14 in) long and weighs 300 to 400 gms.
The Galah has rose-pink head, neck with a paler pink crown, pale grey to mid-grey back, wings and pale grey rump. Galahs diet includes mostly seeds that fell off the ground. Galahs form permanent pair bonds, although a bird will take a new partner if the other one dies. Both parents incubate the eggs and care for the young.
Gecko
The gecko is a small to medium species of lizard found worldwide in all the warmer regions. Gecko lizards consist of 3 subfamilies, 80 genera and about 600 species. Geckos are found in mountains, rainforests, rocky deserts, and grasslands. What makes geckos such unique lizards is their ability to produce sounds, making chirping sounds in social interactions with other geckos. Geckos can range in size from just a few centimeters to more than 50 cm in length.
Geckos come in different colors and patterns such as purple, pink, blue and depending on the species, have a variety of markings on their bodies. Some species can change color to blend in with their environment or with particular temperatures. All geckos, have no eyelids and in its place is a instead have a translucent membrane which they lick to clean. They all have flattened bodies, short necks and wide flat heads. Gecko’s toe pads have rows of tiny hooked bristles that enable them to climb smooth and vertical surfaces. Geckos feed on meat from other animals such insects and worms, however larger species of gecko hunt reptiles, mice and small birds.
Gemsbok
The Gemsbok (Oryx gazella) is a large African antelope characterized by its distinctive black and white markings on their face and long spear like horns. Gemsboks are light brownish-grey to tan in color, black tails, and white around the nose and mouth. It has a compact, muscular body with a thick neck having a short mane that runs from the head to the shoulders.
A dark brown stripe runs from the chin up to the neck edge and down through the join of the shoulder and leg. Males and females are difficult to tell apart. Both sexes have horns. Their horns that average 85 centimeters in length, are long and extend straight back from the head. Gemsbok are about 1.4 meters at the shoulder, and males can weigh between 230–250 kilograms.
Gemsbok are found in all of Africa’s arid and semi-arid open grassland, scrub and light open woodland. The Gemsbok has adapted to many desert and semi-desert life and is capable of surviving without water for extended periods. In desert areas, Gembok’s diet includes thick leaved plants, coarse grasses, wild melons, and roots and tubers they dig out of the ground.
Gentoo Penguin
The Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua), is one of three species in the genus Pygoscelis. Its main distinguishing feature is the wide white stripe running across the top of its head and white patch around and behind the eye that joins on the crown. Also, Gentoo penguins have a very bright orange beak. They are found on many of the islands of the Antarctic region living in large and noisy breeding colonies.
The main colonies are on the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Kerguelen Islands. They are the fastest underwater swimming penguins, reaching speeds of 36 km/h. Gentoo penguins grow to about 75 to 95 centimeters tall and can weigh about 5.6 kg. They eat mostly krill and some small fish.
Giraffe
The Giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is an African ruminant, the tallest animal in the world. They are found in Chad in Central Africa to South Africa inhabiting savannas, grasslands, or open woodlands where Acacia and leguminous plants are flourishing.
Adult males can reach up to 16-18 feet in height and weighs 1,200 kilograms. Adult females are slightly smaller and lighter. Giraffes have long necks, its hind legs are slightly smaller than its front legs. Each giraffe has a unique coat pattern and its color varies significantly in the pattern, but consists of dark-reddish to chestnut brown blotches of various shapes and sizes. Both sexes have horns, although a female horn is much smaller. Giraffes can rest standing, but have to bend down to drink. Wild giraffes have a life span close to 13 years.
Gopher
There are two main species of Gopher, the Pocket Gopher and the Richardsons Ground Squirrel. Both belong to the family Geomyidae found in North America. However, the pocket gophers are considered burrowing rodents or “true” gophers. These adorable creatures can grow up to 15 cm long from head to body, weigh up to a quarter of a kilo, and have a tail of seven cm.
The average lifespan of gophers is from 2 to 3 years. Gophers dig a large community of tunnels and subterranean chambers, with large mounds of dirt at their entrances. These gopher towns contain an extensive network of tunnels that can stretch for vast distances through mountainous terrain. The adult gophers at times guard the entrance, and whistles to alert the community that an impending predator are coming.
Gophers are omnivorous animals and their diet include: nuts, shrubs, berries, seeds, insects, grains, and grass. The gopher however, has a number of natural predators that include owls, coyotes, badgers, as well as humans, who treat gophers as agricultural pests.
Guanaco
The Guanaco (Lama guanicoe) is a member of the camel family, Camelidae (order Artiodactyla). But unlike camels, these lands, which include alpaca, llama, and vicuña do not have humps. Instead, Guanaco has a slender body, small head, brown eyes, long neck, large pointed ears and short tail. Guanacos are native to South American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and Peru. Guanaco can grow from 107 to 122 centimeters (3.5 and 4 feet) at the shoulder and weighs about 90 kg.
Its typical life span is 20 to 25 years. Guanacos are usually found in small herds living at high altitude grazing on grass and other plants. They can survive for several days without water, obtaining moisture from the plants they eat. The puma is its only primary natural predator.
Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are plant-eating insects in the order Orthoptera suborder Caelifera. There are more than 10,000 different species of grasshoppers found in grasslands, semiarid regions and lowland tropical forests. Their sizes vary from 1.3 cm to 15 cm in some tropical species. Grasshoppers are generally colored green, brown, or gray and may have yellow or red markings.
Just like other insects, the grasshopper’s body consists of the head, thorax and abdomen, three pairs of jointed legs, a set of wings, and a pair of antennae. They breathe through a series of holes called spiracles. They are able to hop, walk, and fly. The grasshopper’s long hind legs are used for hopping, while its short front legs are used to walk and to hold prey. The grasshopper’s diet includes plant, grasses, leaves and cereal crops.
Check out the entire Animal Alphabet list here:
Amazing Animal Alphabet Series 1
Amazing Animal Alphabet Series 2
