Many animals live wild on only one continent. Knowing where they live helps you remember the continents.
Key idea
Kangaroos and koalas live wild in Australia. Giraffes and zebras live wild in Africa. Emperor penguins live on and around Antarctica. Giant pandas live wild in Asia.
- North America: American bison, bald eagle.
- South America: Amazon river dolphin, Andean condor.
- Europe: Iberian lynx (Spain and Portugal), Alpine ibex.
- Asia: giant panda (China), tiger, orangutan.
Why it works
Animals live where their food, weather and homes are right for them, and oceans keep many of them from spreading. That is why kangaroos stayed in Australia.
Worked example: Zoo or wild?
You saw a giraffe at a zoo in Ohio. On which continent does it live in the wild?
- A zoo is not an animal's wild home.
- Wild giraffes live in Africa.
Answer: Africa.
Common mistake
Children place an animal where they saw it, in a zoo or a book. Ask: "Where does it live on its own?" A few animals live on more than one continent: wild elephants live in Africa and in Asia, and polar bears live around the Arctic in North America, Europe and Asia.
For the grown-up. Pick a favorite animal and look up together where it lives in the wild. Put a sticker on that continent.