Animals that start with O

The ocelot is a wild cat found in South & Central America and Mexico. They look similar to an ordinary cat but have markings on their coat like a jaguar. They live mainly in forested areas and hunt small animals.

An octopus is a creature with eight arms that lives in the sea. The bottom of their arms is covered in suction cups. Most octopi have no bones, so they can squeeze into very small holes to hide. Octopi have three hearts and blue blood. Octopi are distantly related to snails.

The Old English Sheepdog is a very old breed of large herding dog. It has very long, thick, grey-and-white hair all over it, covering its face. Old English sheepdog puppies are born black-and-white. They are friendly, sociable dogs. They are high maintainence though, as their coat needs regular brushing and clipping.

Opossums are a small to medium sized, common creature that has spread from the western United States. They have a varied diet and are successful breeders. They are the only marsupial found outside of the Australian area.

Orangutans are reddish-brown apes that live in trees, and are the largest animal that lives entirely in trees. They can weigh up to 113kg, but are usually around 33-82kg. Their arms are twice as long as their legs. Orangutans live almost entirely on fruit, but will also eat leaves, honey and eggs.

The orca, or killer whale, is the largest member of the dolphin family. They are found in oceans all over the world. Orcas are hunters, and will eat fish, sharks, seals and even whales. They grow to around 6-8 metres long, and can live to be 80 years old, although most males only get to be 30 and females 50. A female orca will have one calf every 5 years.

An organism is anything that is alive and able to grow and reproduce.

The organism in the picture is a jellyfish.

The ostrich is a large flightless bird that is native to Africa. It is the largest bird in the world, and is farmed for its meat, skin and feathers. The ostrich egg when first laid contains the largest single cell on earth.

Otters are a medium sized animal that spends most of its time in the water. Otters are excellent swimmers, and they eat mostly fish but will also eat small animals and birds if they catch them.

Otters are related to weasels and badgers.

Owls are birds of prey, which means they eat other animals. They usually sleep during the day and hunt at night. Owls mostly hunt small animals, insects and other birds. They are found in almost everywhere on Earth.

A group of owls is called a parliament.