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marmot

(Encyclopedia) marmot, ground-living rodent of the genus Marmota, of the squirrel family, closely related to the ground squirrel, prairie dog, and chipmunk. Marmots are found in Eurasia and North…

badger

(Encyclopedia) badger, name for several related members of the weasel family. Most badgers are large, nocturnal, burrowing animals, with broad, heavy bodies, long snouts, large, sharp claws, and long…

gallium

(Encyclopedia) galliumgalliumgălˈēəm [key], metallic chemical element; symbol Ga; at. no. 31; at. wt. 69.723; m.p. 29.78℃; b.p. 2,403℃; sp. gr. 5.904 at 29.6℃ (solid), 6.095 at 29.8℃ (liquid);…

vole

(Encyclopedia) vole, name for a large number of mouselike rodents, related to the lemmings. Most range in length from 31&fslsh;2 to 7 in. (9–18 cm) and have rounded bodies with gray or brown…

planarian

(Encyclopedia) planarian, common name for several genera of the free-living (turbellarian) flatworms belonging to the order Tricladida, a name that derives from their characteristic three-branched…

puma

(Encyclopedia) pumapumapy&oomacr;ˈmə [key] or cougarcougark&oomacr;ˈgər [key], New World member of the cat family, Puma concolor. Also known as mountain lion, catamount, panther, and painter…

lemur

(Encyclopedia) lemurlemurlēˈmər [key], name for prosimians, or lower primates, of two related families, found only on Madagascar and adjacent islands. Lemurs have monkeylike bodies and limbs, and…

goatsucker

(Encyclopedia) goatsucker, common name for nocturnal or crepuscular birds of the order Caprimulgiformes, which includes the frogmouth, the oilbird, potoos, and nightjars. Goatsuckers are medium in…

ode

(Encyclopedia) ode, elaborate and stately lyric poem of some length. The ode dates back to the Greek choral songs that were sung and danced at public events and celebrations. The Greek odes of Pindar…

Dampier, William

(Encyclopedia) Dampier, WilliamDampier, Williamdămˈpēr [key], 1651–1715, English explorer, buccaneer, hydrographer, and naturalist. He fought (1673) in the Dutch War, managed a plantation in Jamaica…