Once upon a time... A young girl went to Africa with her family. She wanted to learn more about all of the animals that lived there, so she cried out, "I wish I knew more about African animals!" In a flash of light she was transformed...

is for Aardvark

When the girl opened her eyes, she realized that she had shrunk to 3 feet tall! When the sun went down, her eyesight cleared, and she saw aardvarks come out of holes and dig up termite mounds and ant nests. They were slurping up and swallowing tens of thousands of insects at a time. Their thick skin protected them from insect bites. In another flash of light, the girl was changed again.

is for Baboon

The girl was then transformed into a furry baboon! She looked around and noticed that all the female baboons took special care for their babies. One thing the girl noticed especially about the baboons was how noisy they were. After seeing the baboons the light flashed again.

is for Cheetah

The girl was changed into a large feline. She watched as other cheetahs ran across the grasslands at 75 miles per hour. When she looked down at her feet, she noticed that cheetahs have non-retractable claws. This means that they can not climb tall trees.

is for Desert Warthog

Now the girl was a Desert Warthog. She noticed that warthogs live in the holes dug by aardvarks. They also protect themselves from predators by fleeing backwards into a hole and then thrusting their tusks forward in attack.

is for Elephant

Then the girl was transformed into the largest land creature. She noticed that the other elephants were very social and showed affection for one another by entwining and caressing their trunks. They care about their families.

is for Fennec Fox

The girl was now changed into a fennec fox. They are the smallest species of fox. She noticed that the foxes use their large ears to help them detect insects and rodents hiding underground.

is for Giraffe

As a giraffe, she got to see that other giraffes combat each other by "necking". This is where two males will use their necks as weapons. Adults were invulnerable to predators such as lions and leopards, so they choose to prey on giraffe calves instead.

is for Hippopotamous

Once she was a hippo, she noticed the herd following the leader male. They also stay submerged in water to keep them cool in the hot climate. The only parts of the hippos that were above the water were their eyes, ears, and nose.

is for Impala

Impalas are the most abundant antelopes in Africa. The girl could tell which were male and female because only males have horns. She also saw that impalas are fast, and an alert impala will bark out an alarm of danger that sets the entire herd in flight.

is for Jackal

As a jackal, she was a part of a large pack. Jackals are carnivores, meaning they prey on other animals for food. They will even eat decomposing or diseased flesh.

is for Klipspringer

As a klipspringer, she had the appearance of a half a meter tall antelope. The klipspringers could fit all four hooves on a piece of cliff the size of a coin. They also do not have to drink water because the succulent plant they eat provides them with sufficient water.

is for Lion

The girl was now transformed into the second largest feline in the world. Lions mostly live in family units composed of one or two males and many females called prides. When a male lion joins a new pride, he may kill all the existing cubs to ensure that only his genes will carry on to future generations.

is for Mongoose

Changed into a close relative of meerkats, the girl was turned into a mongoose. She realized that mongooses are very attentive and even have a sentinel to keep an eye on eventual predators, such as birds of prey. They are also immune to snake poison.

is for Nyala

Now the girl was a medium sized antelope called a nyala. Nyalas prefer to live in forests rather than grasslands. They are very shy and the girl noticed that they prefer water holes to open spaces.

is for Otter

As an otter, her feet were webbed and her fur was water-repellant. This keeps otters dry and warm. They also have nostrils and ears that close in water. Otters are very smart, and the girl watched as they used rocks to open shellfish.

is for Porcupine

The girl was changed into a porcupine with more than 30,000 quills. She noticed that when an animal attacks a porcupine, their needle-like quills detach and harm the predator. They are also famous for being salt-lickers.

is for Quail

As a quail, the girl found herself in the grasslands of Africa. The quails often embark on long distance migrations. They are also very famous for being heard more often than seen.