Jessica Paster The Future is Green
Animals that start with P are basically so.. so many. However, some of them can only be found in several areas of the whole Earth. Some of them are even on the edge of extinction. Sadly, in several cases, humans contribute to the process of that extinction.
In this article, we want to show you how beautiful those creatures are and need to keep the balance of the ecosystem for the sake of our good.
1. Penguin
Penguins are birds that cannot fly, but they are able to swim vigilantly. They have a camouflaged form that makes them look like they are using a tuxedo so they can stay safe in the water.
Penguins are easy to be found in the southern hemisphere. They get their food from underwater, but they raise their kids on the land.
Generally, they eat fish. But for the penguins that live near Antarctica would eat krill and squids. 75% of their life is spent in the water for hunting and feeding.
Some of them will leave the water for mating and breeding after all. Since they are such social birds, they love to chat with their distinctive noise.
2. Panda
The panda is a native China animal and is also considered a national treasure. The current conservation status is endangered, and this is why several foundations are specifically established to keep their populations in this world.
In the wild, this animal can only be found in certain mountainous areas of China. Those areas provide cool weather and a bunch of wet bamboo as their main foods.
Their appetite for bamboo is like never getting done. Besides eating bamboo, pandas also eat birds, insects, fish, and rodents to fulfill their vitamin and minerals needed.
Since they are loner creatures, they do not like to be around each other. They have such a great sense of smell, so they know if there are other pandas around them. When pandas seek each other, they just need to mate.
3. Polar Bear
Other than Kodiak brown bears, Polar bear is the biggest carnivores in this universe. They feed on fat seals near their habitat.
To search for their prey, the Polar bear will travel great distances. They are very dependent on the stable pack ice in the Arctic.
Besides for feed, they stay in the icy areas for denning and mating too. When they reach adulthood, this bear is very individual and solitary.
In fact, they are a good swimmer for sure. They will hibernate during the winter, but the non-breeding females and males will stay hunting after all.
4. Persian Cat
The Persian cat is a quiet yet sweet cat. They would love to sit on your lap and get petted. They do now like the loud environment and prefer some quiet places too.
They have those wide yet expressive eyes that will make you unable to let them down. Besides, they have such a soft voice.
Things you must remember when you keep the Persian cat as a pet are the regular meals, lots of love, and playtime with its human.
They need regular daily grooming because their long fur cannot be easily cleaned. It could be the house of tick and flea if you do not take care of them regularly.
Persian cat often tears excessively, so you need to wipe them immediately because it could affect their health later.
5. Piranha
Piranha is a famous fish with sharp teeth like a razor. Their reputation for a feeding frenzy is really popular after all. Piranha may be easily spotted in South America.
They cannot be bigger than 2 feet in length. All species of this fish live in the rivers and lakes of South America.
Even though you may believe that they are kind of a terrifying predator, piranha also eats seeds. Some of them even prefer seed rather than meat.
6. Peafowl
Peafowls are the term you will use if you see male and female peacocks at once, and this is also one of the animals that start with “P”.
Peacocks only refer to the male birds while the females are cold peahens. If you want to call their kid, then you go with peachicks.
A family of peafowl is called a bevy. When they are just born, they do not have those colorful yet stunning feathers on their tail.
7. Pelican
For your information, there are almost a dozen species of pelicans you may find in the world. Interestingly, all of them have a unique physical feature: a throat pouch.
That throat pouch is very elastic and useful when they catch fish, and each species has its own way to use its throat pouch. They will swim to fish and go to a cooperative group instead of going solo.
Pelicans can be found near the coastlines around the world, and sometimes you can also spot them on the rivers and lakes. They are the kind of social birds and will travel in flocks. On the island, they will gather in colonies.
8. Patas Monkey
Patas Monkey is an omnivore that can be easily spotted in Central Africa. Their hair might differ from red to black with various combinations of color.
Even though their conservation status is the least concern, their population size is sadly decreasing due to capture and hunting.
Compared to other primates, Patas Monkey is the fastest species that can run up to 55kph. Their lifespan is between 12 years and 20 years.
They consume various foods to survive, but they prefer seasonal fruits, insects, birds’ eggs, and lizards. Mostly, they collect their food from the ground.
Wildcats, wild dogs, hyenas, snakes, and large birds prey on them every time. Other than that, humans hunt them too.
9. Python
Python is one of the biggest snakes in the world nowadays. They do not produce venom because they could twist their prey.
Pythons live in Africa and Asia inside tropical places. Sometimes, you may find them in the deserts, savannas, and rainforests as well.
They basically will not attach humans, but they might do that if being provoked and stressed out. When they attack animals, they swallow it at once, and their digestive organs will do the rest of the process.
10. Parrot
Parrot has so many different species, which make this bird has a wide range of size and weight. They live in warm areas, and you may find them easily in Southern Hemisphere.
Nowadays, you may find them anywhere, almost in all parts of the world. Most of them are the social type of birds and would prefer to live in a flock.
Most of them are also monogamous that will mate with one bird only during their lifetime.
Parrots are omnivorous creatures. They eat veggies and meats, but they would love to eat anything that contains nuts and seeds. Their strong jaw allows them to open the nutshells easily.
11. Pika
Pika is a herbivorous mammal that can be easily found in mountainous areas. They can live up to 6 years and have no tail. Pika is related to hares and rabbits.
They love to stay in a cold climate and will stay in the mountainous areas due to the fewer predators in that place.
There are at least 30 species of this animal, and each one has different color according to where they live. But basically, you may find them across Asia, certain parts of Europe, and North America.
12. Pig
A pig is generally a social animal with great intelligence. The piglets can even give respond to the mother’s voice immediately.
Other than that, your pig could recognize and remember their name even if they are just two-week-old. They are omnivores and will eat anything they look.
In the wildlife, pigs would eat reptiles, small snakes, roots, and leaves, as well as rodents sometimes. But when they are farmed, they will eat barleys and corns.
Since they are social animals, they need to spend their time with each other. Squeaks and grunts are the way they communicate with each other. When sleeping, they will be cuddled together.
13. Pheasant
Pheasants are also called ring-necked pheasants. They are native to China’s animals, and sometimes you may find them in East Asia.
Until today, North America also knows this creature really well. The male ones have vibrant colors: blue to green head with a red face and white ring on their neck.
The female ones are wrapped in plain buff-brown. Both sexes possess a pointed yet long tail.
Pheasants love to stay on the farmlands and fields, but they also inhabit the woodlands for reproduction.
This also has something to do with their foods since they feed grains, insects, berries, and seeds. Sometimes, they eat small animals too.
14. Poison Dart Frog
Poison Dart Frogs are one of the species in this world that shows beautiful yet brilliant colors.
However, they are pretty toxic since one golden poison frog is able to kill 10 adult humans. They basically use the poison for hunting for their food.
However, this behavior may also arise when they feel threatened by other creatures around them. Scientists believe that their poison is gathered when they prey, such as from beetles, termites, and ants.
They are sure because if the frogs are isolated from any inset and in captivity, they will never have this deadly poison after all.
15. Puffer Fish
Pufferfish is easily recognized due to their ability to enlarge and transform their body in seconds.
There are at least 120 species of this fish, and they love to stay in warm waters across the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans. 30 species of them live in the freshwater, after all.
Overfishing makes their population a vulnerable number even though it is still pretty stable compared to other fish in the ocean. Besides, habitat loss and pollution kill them over time.
Pufferfish are poor swimmers, and this is also the reason why they develop their self-defense tactics.
Most of them carry a toxic substance that is worse than cyanide. Once they release the toxin, at least 30 adult men could be killed. This fish could live up to 10 years of lifespan.
16. Puffin
Puffin is one of the popular birds you may find in the North. They have a colorful bill that looks so real.
If you are on an Arctic tour, then you must search for them. Nowadays, there are only four species of this bird, and each can be easily distinguished.
They are pretty lightweight, which is as heavy as a can of Coke. They only lay one egg per year, and they will mate with the same one from time to time.
Both puffin parents can incubate the egg and take care of the chick with an arrangement. More than half of their populations breed in Iceland.
17. Pademelon
Pademelon is an herbivore animals, and they are more close to wallabies and kangaroo. When they are running, they could reach 55km/h of speed on average.
Besides solitary creatures, they also could live up to 8 years. However, their conservation status is threatened due to predators like dingos, dogs, and foxes, along with habitat loss and hunting.
Pademelons have fur like a wallaby, and they love to eat grasses. You may spot them in the shrubland and dense rainforest.
There are at least 7 types of pademelon species found in Australia, Tasmania, and Papua New Guinea.
Since they are a marsupial kind, the female pademelons carry a pouch on their belly. The pouch is designed to carry their kids until they are ready to mate.
18. Pygmy Marmoset
Besides Pygmy Marmoset, there are various names to call this creature. They are so small and have a fluffed-up body that makes them look fat.
However, they are not fat, and the fur makes them appear to be larger than their original size. Pygmy Marmoset could cling to the trees pretty fast with their sharp claws.
Other than that, their visual characteristic gets better due to the tufts that grow bigger up to near their ear.
The pygmy marmoset is a social animal, and they have a distinctive vocal to communicate with each other. Sometimes it tells their groups about the dangers, encourages the young monkeys, and mating.
19. Platypus
Many scientists call platypus the most unlikely animals. The male ones have sharp stingers on their heels.
Those things could blow the strong toxic when they feel threatened. Platypus hunt for their foods underwater. They eat larvae and insects, worms, and shellfish as well.
Once they get their food, they will store it inside the cheek pouch until it is full. After that, they will return to the ground and eat what they got underwater.
When they are on the land, they seem a bit awkward due to their body features that look much more suitable for water activity.
20. Porcupine
Porcupines are popular with their needled that will spread all over their body when they feel threatened. In fact, they are rodents that move really slowly. You can find this animal almost everywhere except Antarctica.
Porcupines are nocturnal and will spend their daytime getting food. Since they are not a social type of animal, they will mostly go solo for anything.
But a mother will stay with the child until it gets mature enough to live on without the mother. Porcupines only eat veggies. But in order to sharpen their teeth, they will also chew some bones.
21. Proboscis Monkey
The male Probosci’s monkey has a long nose that looks like a pendulum. This is one of the things that could attract the female’s attention.
The males will also shout their vocals to let the females know if they are ready for mating.
The infant Proboscis Monkey is born with black fur and a bright blue face. In a harem, one male monkey could live with up to six females. They have webbed feet that make them good to swim for various purposes.
You may find them in coastal forests of mangroves and in lowland rainforest. As long as it is located near the water source, they will be there.
22. Pallas Cat
Pallas cat can be found in Central Asia up to southern Russia. They live in a place with an extreme climate with low humidity and little rainfall along with wide ranges of temperature.
They have fluffed-up fur that makes them look much bigger and heavier than the actual size.
The fur helps them to survive in various climates and temperatures, after all. Pallas cats are active anytime they want to be active. And they do not kill poultry and livestock even though they are carnivorous mammals.
Agriculture and human presence make them experience habitat loss, which also leads to the endangered conservation status.
23. Pigeon
Pigeon is not a North American native. Originally, their ancestors inhabited Europe.
They can be touted as one of the serious pest bird problems, especially in the United States. This bird can be easily found in all urban areas.
There are at least 400 million pigeons in the world nowadays. The male ones have a bigger neck and head compared to the females. Pigeons basically need the presence of humans since their foods come from humans.
24. Prairie Dog
Prairie dogs are rodents, and they live in a big colony. You may find them easily in the central and western areas of North America. They mostly eat sedges, grasses, seeds, roots, and forbs. But they will also eat insects if they want to.
They choose to live in complex tunnels with many openings. They are the social type of animals, and when they communicate with each other, they will use various yet complex noises and barks.
Their barks, however, sound similar to other regular dogs, which makes people do not recognize them by the sound.
25. Persian Leopard
The Persian leopard is the largest one in the leopard subspecies. During the 20th century, their number is getting decreased due to habitat loss and human hunting.
They live in mountainous areas and love to settle in a dry yet arid area. But sometimes, they can also be found in the snowy mountains. And this is the end of the animals that start with “P”.
26. Parakeet
Parakeet is one of the parrot species. They have small features, and they love to eat seeds. They love to live in warm areas, and you may find them abundantly from India to Australia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Tropical parts of America are the place where they love to stay too. They are very active, and when they have paired, they will be highly pugnacious too.
Parakeets have beautiful colors, and those occur according to the breeder. When they live in the wild with their flocks, it could be a serious threat to the grain fields.
They breed in colonies, and one hole could be filled with eight eggs. They have 10 years of lifespan.
27. Pangolin
There are eight species of pangolin in the world. Half of them come from Asia, and the rest is African. However, fossil evidence shows that they came from Europe.
The conservation status of this animal is critically endangered. Pangolins are carnivorous creatures, but this is the only mammal that is covered in a scale.
They will roll up when sleeping or feeling threatened after all. Also, they can close their nostrils and ears to protect themselves from the attacks of the ants.
28. Possum
In general, possums are pests, and you cannot make them a pet if you are not trying that hard. However, they are not that aggressive, especially when they feel threatened.
Of course, you will smell that foul odor to make the predators stay away. Still, they will not attack you even though their stare is pretty scary.
Possums are also able to kill at least 4,000 ticks within one week. Besides, they rarely have rabies even though they are kind of wild animals.
Since they eat anything, Possums will help you with waste management, even the bones of dead animals out there. On the other hand, they will help you to be a guardian for your garden.