Which lens is best for wildlife photography?

I'm completely new to DSLRs and am doing some research before I decide which to buy. I was originally thinking of getting the Nikon d3100 as a kit with the 18-55mm lens. However I have read that that lens isn't very good for taking photographs of wildlife from further away, like birds, is this true? And if so is the 55-200mm better for this?

Finally I have read that the lens is the most important part so if I decide to go with the 55-200mm lens what body should I buy? Entry level so nothing too expensive

Thank you for your help, sorry of these questions seem a bit stupid, just trying to get to grips with the basics first!

Long ones.

The 55-200 is the minimum length you need, 300 mm would be better depending upon the scare radius of the animal you are attempting to photograph

You will find that the AF-S 70-300 mm VR lens will provide you with the best options when shooting wild animals. Some of my colleagues use that lens when doing bird census surveys.

For now, the 55-200 mm is the most inexpensive, so until you can save your pennies for a longer lens, just learn how to stalk your animals so you can get closer to them

The pros out there spend a lot of money on their lenses used for shooting wildlife. Here is what I used to carry with me.

* 300 mm f/2.8
* 400 mm f/2.8
* 600 mm f/4

I will let you look up those lenses and see what they cost.

I use a 300mm for birds