Alina Bradford

Minks are small mammals with long, thin bodies, short legs, pointed snouts and claws. There are two species: American minks and European minks.

Buttermilk is the liquid left over when making butter from milk.

Sweetbreads are neither sweet, nor are they breads. Sweetbreads are organ meats — the thymus or pancreas glands of calves and lambs.

Fans of kombucha attribute several unproven health effects to the tea. While it does contain several important nutrients, there is no official medical research on the health benefits of the drink.

Hummus, a dip or spread made of mashed chickpeas (garbanzo beans), is low in calories and high in protein, and may help improve cholesterol levels and decrease the risk of heart disease.

Kefir is a fermented milk product that tastes like liquid yogurt and has many health benefits.

The American Heart Association recommends eating six to eight servings of grain foods per day. Whole grains are important for the body for a number of reasons.

The common loon is the most widespread species of loon in North America. Its distinctive voice is often considered a characteristic of early summer.

Sea turtles live all over the world. They return to the beach where they were born to lay their eggs.

Beluga whales, also called white whales, have white skin that is adapted to its habitat in the Arctic. They are among the smallest species of whales.

Whales sharks are the largest fish in the world. They are not predatory, like other sharks. In fact, their feeding habits are more like a whale's.

The movie "Finding Nemo" created a star and increased demand for the clownfish, a small fish that lives within the protecting tentacles of an anemone.

Though rare, infections of the brain caused by a species of amoeba can be fatal.

The fish featured in 'Finding Dory' has many names. Many of its habits are nothing like those depicted in the animated blockbuster.

The addax is a species of antelope that lives in the Sahara. It is critically endangered, and there may be only three left in the wild.

Aardvarks are pig-size African mammals that eat ants and termites. They look like they were made from parts of other animals.

Capybaras are the largest rodent in the world. These herbivorous South American beasts are cousins to much smaller guinea pigs.

Tapirs are large mammals with round bodies, short legs and and long snouts. Their snouts are flexible, like an elephant's trunk.

A skunk's black-and-white fur serves as a warning to stay away or face getting sprayed with a sticky, foul-smelling secretion from their anal scent glands.

Otters are streamlined, thick-furred swimmers found all over the world.

Orangutans are the only great apes found in Asia. They spend most of their time in trees, lounging or swinging from branch to branch with their long arms. They are also threatened with extinction.

Ocelots are small, wild cats about twice the size of housecats. Ocelots are the second largest spotted cats in South America, after jaguars.

Hyenas don't laugh, and they are not related to dogs. They are a diverse group of mammals mainly found in Africa.

Kidneys are bean-shaped organs located on both sides of the spine, behind the stomach. Their main purpose is to keep the composition of blood in the body balanced to maintain good health.

Vertigo is a dizzying feeling of motion when no movement is present. It is often caused by an imbalance in the inner ear.