There are more than thirty kinds of dolphins around the world, many living in the waters around Australia. The most common type of dolphin is the bottlenose dolphin. This dolphin can weigh up to 150~650kg and reach 2~4 metres in length.

Dolphins eat plenty of food daily, totaling about 50% of their body weight. Dolphins can stay under the water for about 15minutes. They have very good eyesight. They can see both in and out of the water. However, they can only see in front of them and below them.

Dolphins like to hunt and travel in groups. In a group, there are at least 10~12 dolphins. They can look after each other. Like humans, dolphins have many ways of communicating, including body language, sound and touch.

Dolphins are in danger now. Water pollution, boat traffic or fishing nets (网) often hurt or kill them.

The Koala

Appearance:

The koala with thick hair looks cute but it has very sharp teeth and claws (爪子) .The male (雄性的) koala is larger than the female one.

Size and weight

70-90cm; 5-14kg.

Food:

The koala eats eucalyptus leaves (桉树叶). Each koala eats about 500 grams of leaves per day.

Habit:

The koala sleeps for up to 16-18 hours. It prefers to move around in the evening.

Baby fact:

A healthy female koala can have one child each year. A baby koala is very small when it is born—only a quarter of an inch. It has no hair and it can’t see either. It lives in its mother’s pouch (育儿袋) for half a year. During this time, it only drinks its mother’s milk.

Danger:

The number of koalas in Australia is getting smaller every year, mainly because of people. People cut down a lot of trees, so many koalas have no places to live in and they don’t have enough leaves to eat. There are fewer than 100,000 koalas in the world. Some scientists say if people don’t protect them, we won’t have any koalas within 30 years.

Now most people like to keep pets in their houses. They think pets are their best friends. Do you know how to take care of(照顾) your pet in summer? Some ideas for you.

* Never leave a pet alone(单独的) in your car.

In summer, the air in your car is too hot and it can’t move quickly(快速流动). If you let a pet stay in your car for long, it’ll lose its life(失去生命) because there’s little(很少) oxygen(氧气) in the car.

* Don’t keep cool all the time.

If a pet always stays in a cool room, it’ll get sick(生病的). You should make an exercise plan(做一个锻炼计划) and walk it(遛狗) in the morning or evening. But remember not to take it out on a hot afternoon suddenly(突然地).

* Go to a pet hospital quickly(快速地).

When your pet is ill, you should take it to a pet hospital at once(立刻). You must look after(照顾) it well till(直到) it feels better. It isn’t difficult(困难的) to keep your pet healthy and happy. Treat(对待) it well and you can get a lot of fun(乐趣) from it.