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.

The okapi is an animal that lives in the forests of Central Africa. It looks a bit like a mix of a deer and a giraffe, and it has dark brown and tan stripes on its legs.

Okapi use their long necks to reach leaves from trees. They are shy and live mostly alone.

lan 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.

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.

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.

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.

Oysters are a kind of mollusc that lives in the sea or salty water. Their shell is in two halves like a clam shell, and the oyster can pull it closed. Oysters eat by filtering food from the water that flows over its shell. They live their adult lives stuck to rocks - a young oyster that has just stuck to a rock is called a spat.
Oysters have been eaten for thousands of years. They can be eaten raw, cooked, smoked or as part of another dish like soup.