Animals that start with E

Earwigs are a very common insect found all over the world. They eat ripe fruit, trash, other insects and the young shoots of plants. They get their name because a long time ago people beleived that earwigs crawled into people's brains through their ears to lay their eggs. Earwigs do like hiding in warm, dark, damp places so it is possible they will hide in people's ears if they have the chance.

An eel is a long, thin fish. Instead of having separate small fins on their back end like other fish, they have one big long fin that goes all the way around their long tail. Eels eat other fish.

Elephants are the largest land animals on earth (whales are the largest animal, but they live in the sea). They can live for 70 years. There are two different kinds of elephant, African and Asian (or Indian) elephants. African elephants are larger and have bigger ears. The elephant in the picture is an African elephant.

The elk is one of the largest species of deer. In Europe, moose might be called elks. Elks are native to North America and Eastern Asia. They live in lightly forested areas and eat grass, leaves and bark.

Cocker spaniels are a medium-sized dog that come in several colours, the most familiar being the golden cocker in the picture. They are a happy, loyal, affectionate dog that makes a good pet. They do not like being left alone.