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There are 13 species of otter in four genera, all of which are relatives of the weasel, but there is only one species of sea otter. The more diverse river otters live primarily in freshwater rivers and streams, but are also found in coastal saltwater areas. Sea otters only exist in oceanic environments.

Physical Characteristics

River otters are typically about one-quarter the size of sea otters, and they have tails that are longer and more rounded. While sea otters have rear flippers that are much larger than their front feet, a river otter's limbs are of roughly equal size. A sea otter's fur is denser than a river otter's, but all species spend most of their time grooming their fur so it maintains its ability to insulate the animal in water.

Land Behavior

Sea otters rarely venture on land, where their movements are awkward and clumsy. In contrast, the agile river otter is frequently ashore. River otters maintain at least one permanent den on land, near the water, as well as several temporary shelters. While all otters consume fish and other aquatic animals, river otters also forage for food along the shore, and they prefer to eat on land rather than in the water.

Water Behavior

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River otters swim on their bellies with most of their bodies submerged. While river otters paddle through the water using all four of their webbed feet, otters swim primarily with their rear flippers, using their tails as rudders. Sea otters spend nearly all of their time in the water, swimming on their backs with their bodies high in the water. They even eat and sleep in the water, while floating on their backs. Sea otters dive deeper and can stay under water longer than their freshwater cousins.

Social Behavior

Sea otters are primarily active during the day, while many river otters are nocturnal. Sea otters congregate in small to large groups, although males and females keep separate, coming together only to mate. In contrast, most river otters are more solitary. Those that are seen together are small family groups. Male and female adult river otters have separate dominance hierarchies, and although they tolerate each other they do not travel together. River otters are generally more territorial than sea otters, but they practice avoidance rather than confronting or challenging each other.

Reproduction

River otters reach sexual maturity at a younger age than sea otters. They tend to have one litter per year of up to four pups, while sea otters only have one pup at a time, with a longer interval between births. Freshwater otter pups are born in dens on land and are blind, toothless and completely helpless at birth. Sea otter pups are born in the water. Although they remain dependent on their mothers, sea otter pups are more developed than river otter pups at birth, with open eyes and emerging teeth.

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There are 13 species of otter in four genera, all of which are relatives of the weasel, but there is only one species of sea otter. The more diverse river otters live primarily in freshwater rivers and streams, but are also found in coastal saltwater areas. Sea otters only exist in oceanic ...

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WOLVES | Animal Book for Kids Read Aloud

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Thought to be some of the smartest animals on Earth, bottlenose dolphins send messages to one another in many different ways. They squeak, squawk and use body language—leaping as high as 20 feet in the air, snapping their jaws, slapping their tails on the surface of the water, blowing bubbles and ev…

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When a great white shark is born, along with up to a dozen siblings, it immediately swims away from its mother. Born on the east and west coasts of North America, the south of Africa and southwest Australia, baby sharks are on their own right from the start. Their mother may see them only as prey.

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When a great white shark is born, along with up to a dozen siblings, it immediately swims away from its mother. Born on the east and west coasts of North America, the south of Africa and southwest Australia, baby sharks are on their own right from the start.

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THEY "HEAR" WITH THEIR JAW.

Snakes don't have external ears to hear sound waves in the air. Instead, bones in their lower jaw pick up vibrations in the ground or water. The vibes trigger signals in the snakes' brains, which are received as messages. "Juicy mouse coming closer!"

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Snakes are masters of disguise, skilled hunters, and champion eaters. Here are eight awesome things you may not have known about these carnivorous reptiles.

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All About Sharks for Children: Animal Videos for Kids - FreeSchool

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tiger, ( Panthera tigris), largest member of the cat family ( Felidae), rivaled only by the lion ( Panthera leo) in strength and ferocity; it is a famous apex predator (meaning without a natural predator or enemy). The tiger is endangered throughout its range, which stretches from the Russian Far East through parts of North Korea, China, India, and Southeast Asia to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The Siberian, or Amur, tiger ( P. tigris altaica) is the largest, measuring up to 4 metres (13 feet) in total length and weighing up to 300 kg (660 pounds). The Indian, or Bengal, tiger ( P. tigris tigris) is the most numerous and accounts for about half of the total tiger population. Males are larger than females and may attain a shoulder height of about 1 metre and a length of about 2.2 metres, excluding a tail of about 1 metre; weight is 160-230 kg (350-500 pounds), and tigers from the south are smaller than those of the north.

The Indo-Chinese ( P. tigris corbetti), and Sumatran ( P. tigris sumatrae) tigers are bright reddish tan, beautifully marked with dark, almost black, vertical stripes. The underparts, the inner sides of the limbs, the cheeks, and a large spot over each eye are whitish. The rare Siberian tiger has longer, softer, and paler fur. White tigers, not all of them true albinos, have occurred from time to time, almost all of them in India ( see also albinism). Black tigers have been reported less frequently from the dense forests of Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh, and eastern India. The tiger has no mane, but in old males the hair on the cheeks is rather long and spreading. Although most classifications separate the species into six subspecies, some merge subspecies or suggest that two tiger species exist, P. tigris on the mainland of Asia and P. sondaica of Java, Bali, and Sumatra.

Natural history

The tiger has adapted to a great variety of environments, from the Siberian taiga, where nights can be as cold as −40 °C (−40 °F), to the mangrove swamps of the Sundarbans, where the temperatures reach more than 40 °C (104 °F). Tigers haunt the ruins of buildings such as courts and temples and are at home in habitats ranging from dry grassland to rainforest. Grasslands, mixed grassland-forests, and deciduous rather than densely canopied forests support maximum population densities, as these habitats maintain the highest number of prey species. Having evolved in the temperate and subtropical forests of eastern Asia, the tiger is less tolerant of heat than other large cats, which may explain why it is an adept swimmer that appears to enjoy bathing. Under stress it may climb trees.

The tiger usually hunts by night and preys on a variety of animals, but it prefers fairly large prey such as deer ( sambar, chital, and swamp deer) and wild pigs. A special liking for porcupines, despite the danger of injury from their quills, is an exception. Healthy large mammals are generally avoided, although there have been recorded instances of the tiger's having attacked elephants and adult water buffalo. Cattle are occasionally taken from human habitations, and some tigers can thrive on domestic livestock. After making a kill and consuming what it can, it makes a deliberate attempt to hide the carcass from vultures and other scavengers so that another meal can be obtained. Tigers are not averse to commandeering a kill from other tigers or leopards, and they sometimes eat carrion. Skill in killing and obtaining prey is only partly instinctive, maternal training being essential for proficiency. For this reason, tigers raised in captivity would not fare well if released into the wild. As the top predator throughout its range, the tiger plays a major role in controlling not only its prey population but that of other predators such as the leopard, dhole (Asiatic wild dog), and clouded leopard. No trait of the tiger has fascinated humans more than man eating. A number of reasons account for this-disability caused by age or injury, paucity of prey, acquisition of the habit from the mother, or defense of cubs or kill. With the reduction in the number of tigers, the occurrence of man-eating tigers has become rare except in the Sundarbans, the northeast Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and neighbouring Nepal in and around Royal Chitwan National Park.

As solitary animals, tigers (especially males) establish and maintain their own territories, the size and nature of which vary with the number and distribution of prey, the presence of other tigers in the area, the nature of the terrain, the availability of water, and individual characteristics. Spacing between individuals and maintenance of territories are achieved through vocalization, scrapings on the ground, claw marking of trees, fecal deposits, scent deposited by the rubbing of facial glands, and spraying of urine mixed with scent secreted from the anal glands. The solitary nature of the species also helps minimize territorial conflict. Nonetheless, confrontations do occur, sometimes resulting in injury and even death.

The readiness of a tigress to mate is announced through vocalization and scent production. There is no fixed breeding season, though the preponderance of mating appears to occur in winter, with striped cubs being born after a gestation period of more than three months. The normal litter size is two to four, though up to seven cubs have been recorded. They are born blind, and, even when their eyes open, opacity prevents clear vision for six to eight weeks. There is thus a long period of weaning, tutelage, and training during which cub mortality is high, especially if food is scarce. During this time the offspring must endure long periods of absence by the mother while she is away hunting. Weaker cubs get less food because of the aggressiveness of their stronger siblings as food is less frequently made available. The cubs remain with the mother until about the second year, when they are nearly adult and are able to kill prey for themselves. Male cubs grow more quickly than females and tend to leave their mother earlier. Though cub infanticide (mainly by males) is known, it is not very unusual to find a male with a tigress and cubs, even sharing a kill. Such associations, however, do not last long. The tigress does not breed again until her cubs are independent. The average life span of a tiger in the wild is about 11 years.

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Tiger | Facts, Information, Pictures, & Habitat

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Tiger, largest member of the cat family (Felidae), rivaled only by the lion in strength and ferocity. Males are larger than females and may attain a shoulder height of about 1 meter (about 3 feet) and a length of about 2.2 meters, excluding a tail of about 1 meter; weight is 160-230 kg (350-500 pounds).

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Discover our cool snake facts! Then check out our quiz sheet in the activity section at the end to test how much you've learned in class or at home.

Ooohhh snakes; you either love them or hate them. In some countries they are seen as bad luck, while in other countries they are good luck and well, in other places you just run and hide! Let's take a look at some cool and interesting facts about snakes.

Did you know that many people believe that snakes have healing powers? Well here's a strange one for you. If you know someone who can't see properly or her hair is falling out then suggest that they drink some snake wine. Sounds gross don't it? Let's see how it's made. First you have to put a large venomous snake in a bottle of rice wine with turtles, insects, birds and herbs and leave it for several months then serve it in little cupfuls.

Now, the problem is how you are going to get that venomous snake and all the other creatures into a bottle? Don't think this one is fun enough to try doing. What do you think? If you can't get all the ingredients then snake's blood will work too. If there aren't any venomous snakes, geckos or sea horses will do! Sounds pretty cruel, doesn't it. Well recipes like this were used in China since 771 BC, Vietnam and South East Asia. Don't think it would be cool to be the one making recipes like these!

Do you know how the game Snakes and Ladders was invented? Well this is really interesting. In ancient India by Hindu Spiritual teachers created the game to teach children to be good. It was called 'Moksha Patam' or 'Leela'. The game was taken to England in 1892 and later to America, but changed a bit to suit the customs there. Even back then it was played with a dice. If you threw the dice and it landed on a ladder, you'd go up the ladder and find pictures of angels and majestic beings. This was like saying 'it's better to be nice and do good deeds so you can become the best person possible'. Wow, that's interesting. If you ended up on a snake then you had to go down and the pictures would be things like animals, flowers and people.

Animals, flowers and people are not horrible at all, but in Hindu belief it meant that if you were horrible, or if you stole or killed others, you would never mix with the angels, but would always stay on the ground with the snakes and rocks. Next time you play snakes and ladders, remember where it comes from! It's probably best to go up and not down!

If a snake gets into your outside sewer pipe (the place that gets rid of all your toilet stuff), take a wild guess where that snake is going to come out? Yup we don't even have to say it...but yes in your toilet maybe. An Australian man says that when it gets really stormy the heavy rains flush the rats and mice out of their holes in the garden. If there's a hungry snake prying about, and he chases his prey he'll land up in the sewer pipes and there's no turning back for him! He just has to keep on going. So, sometimes, and only sometimes snakes have been found in people's toilets. But now you know why. Don't worry about this, as it's not often, but there have been some people that have been bitten by snakes in the toilet and someone took a 9 foot (nearly 3 meter) python out of a loo in Australia. Can you imagine coming across that? Wow!

If you're travelling to Indonesia do you fancy a massage by pythons? Yes you did read correctly! If you want to relax three 6 foot (nearly 2 meters) pythons called Jasmine, Muscle and Brown will massage away all those aching muscles. You lie back on the massage bed and they move around on you, rolling on your stomach and back and lying over your neck with their mouths tied up with sticky tape. No, no, no...this does not sound like fun at all. Even crazier, two attendants stay with you and keep the snakes moving so that they don't decide to curl up on you and go to sleep. They live in a plastic box and are cleaned with antiseptic before they start work. Poor snakes!

The animal rights movement are not too happy at all about making the snakes work like this! But the owner of the snake says that they enjoy their work tremendously and they are like his family. And in fact each night he gives them a kiss and a cuddle before they lay down to rest. It would be interesting to know what their faces look like if they're enjoying something - maybe they smile!

There's a snake that looks like a whip. How weird is that. Its head is nearly the same size as its body, so from far away you can't actually tell which end you're looking at. They're called Coachwhip snakes. Some of the adult snakes are about 6.5 feet (nearly 2 meters) long and are very fast. This snake though is very different to other snakes. Most snakes wait around patiently for their food, but the Coachwhip snake chases after their prey to make sure they get that delicious meal. They eat other reptiles like frogs, lizards, other snakes, rodents and even birds. You can find them in the US and Mexico.

Previously, a 30 foot (9 meter) long snake was apparently the biggest snake in the world. Hardly surprising. It would not have be fun to come across this snake in the jungle. It held the world record for being the longest snake, and was found in Indonesia in 1912. But surprisingly there's an even bigger snake that's been found, who has been called Fragrant Flower. It is 50 feet (about 15 meters) long, which is nearly twice the length of a London bus! Whoa. She weighs 70 stone (445 kilograms)...she clearly likes to eat! She now lives in a zoo in the village of Curugsewu on the island of Java. Villagers caught it because they were afraid of it. Did you know that pythons can open their jaws so wide they can eat a person whole? Yes, they definitely did the right thing!

Now there are some snake facts we bet you didn't know! Watch out wherever you are, and we strongly suggest that you don't make any snake remedies to help people! Do you have any other snake facts for us?

Click to download or print our snake facts quiz sheet to use in class or at home! Questions about Snakes (all answers can be found on this page).

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Snake Facts For Kids Discover our cool snake facts! Then check out our quiz sheet in the activity section at the end to test how much you've learned in class or at home. Ooohhh snakes; you either love them or hate them.

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Polar bear | Description, Habitat, & Facts

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polar bear, (Ursus maritimus), also called white bear, sea bear, or ice bear, great white northern bear (family Ursidae) found throughout the Arctic region. The polar bear travels long distances over vast desolate expanses, generally on drifting oceanic ice floes, searching for seals, its primary…

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Dolphin, toothed whale of the family Delphinidae (oceanic dolphins) or the families Platanistidae and Iniidae (river dolphins).

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Table of Contents

snake, (suborder Serpentes), also called serpent, any of more than 3,400 species of reptiles distinguished by their limbless condition and greatly elongated body and tail. Classified with lizards in the order Squamata, snakes represent a lizard that, over the course of evolution, has undergone structural reduction, simplification, and loss as well as specialization. All snakes lack external limbs, but not all legless reptiles are snakes. Certain burrowing lizards may have only front or hind limbs or be completely legless. Unlike lizards, snakes lack movable eyelids, which results in a continuous and often disconcerting stare. Snakes also lack external ear openings. Internally, they have lost the urinary bladder. The visceral organs are elongated, with reduction of the left member in relation to the right; the left lung is greatly reduced or even lost entirely. However, snakes possess increased numbers of vertebrae and have developed two novelties among vertebrates: a tracheal lung in the neck region and a venom-conducting system for subduing prey.

Snakes are thought to have evolved from terrestrial lizards as early as the Middle Jurassic Epoch (174.1 million to 163.5 million years ago). The oldest known fossil snake, Eophis underwoodi, was a small snake that lived in southern England about 167 million years ago.

Snakes and humans

Snakes are misunderstood and often maligned, primarily out of ignorance about their true nature and position in the natural world. All snakes are predators, but venomous snakes (that is, biting snakes that use their fangs to inject toxins into their victims) have given an inaccurate reputation to the entire group, as most people cannot tell the dangerous from the harmless. Only a small percentage (fewer than 300 species) are venomous, and of those only about half are capable of inflicting a lethal bite. Although snakebite mortality worldwide is estimated at 80,000-140,000 people per year, the majority of deaths occur in Southeast Asia, principally because of poor medical treatment, malnutrition of victims, and a large number of venomous species. Although there are about 8,000 venomous snakebites per year in the United States, the average number of annual fatalities is less than 10 or so per year-fewer than are attributed to bee stings and lightning strikes. In Mexico, 10 times as many people die annually from bee stings as from snakebites.

Snakes can control the amount of venom they inject and may bite aggressively for food or defensively for protection. Snakes have a limited amount of venom available at any given time and do not want to waste it on nonprey organisms. As a result, about 40 percent of bites suffered by humans are defensive in nature and "dry" (without envenomation). Statistics show that the vast majority of snakebites occur while either catching and handling captive snakes or trying to molest or kill wild ones. In either case, the snake is only defending itself. Rattlesnakes, for example, are venomous, and large ones are quite dangerous owing to the amount of venom they can inject. However, most are shy and retreating, and none will attack a person unmolested. When approached or molested, they will coil up and rattle as a warning to be left alone, striking only as a last resort. Most cases of reputed snake attack are based upon encroachment by a person into the snake's territory, which makes it feel trapped or cornered, or provocation of a snake during the breeding season. Even in these scenarios, only two snakes have a reputation as dangerous aggressors: the black mamba ( Dendroaspis polylepis) of Africa and the king cobra ( Ophiophagus hannah) of Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, snakes are inoffensive under the vast majority of circumstances. People are rarely indifferent about them, generally exhibiting emotions that range from religious awe and superstitious dread to repulsion and uncontrollable fear. It is interesting to note that, although most people profess to fear or hate snakes, one of the most visited areas of any zoo is the snake house-proof that snakes are mysterious and fascinating, even if they are loathed. Given their exquisite colours, patterns, and graceful movements as they crawl, swim, or climb, some snakes can be considered among the most beautiful animals.

In common parlance, venomous snakes are often referred to as "poisonous snakes." This phrase is not technically correct, because the term "poisonous" only applies to organisms that unload their toxins when another organism consumes them. Very few snakes are truly poisonous. One of the most common, yet harmless, poisonous snakes in North America is the garter snake ( Thamnophis), whose body has the ability to absorb and store the toxins of the newts, salamanders, and other poisonous prey it eats.

Nearly every culture since prehistoric times (including various present-day cultures) has worshipped, revered, or feared snakes. Serpent worship is one of the earliest forms of veneration, with some carvings dating to 10,000 bce. Although Satan is depicted as a serpent in the biblical account of the Creation, snakes are revered by most societies. A vast global compendium of superstitions and mythologies about snakes has sprung up. Many stem from the snakes' biological peculiarities: their ability to shed their skin is associated with immortality; their ever-open eyes represent omniscience; their propensity for sudden appearance and disappearance allies snakes with magic and ghosts; a phallic resemblance embodies procreative powers; and the ability to kill with a single bite engenders fear of any snakelike creature.

The hides of six snake species (especially pythonss and wart snakes) are commonly bought and sold in the skin trade. The number of rattlesnakes used for their skins is minor in comparison. Hundreds of thousands of live snakes are collected for sale in the international pet trade. Nearly 100,000 ball pythons and 30,000 boa constrictors are imported annually into the United States. The removal of such enormous numbers from the wild threatens the survival of these species, and many snake populations are in decline as a result of capture and habitat destruction. The release of nonnative pet snakes into the wild has also led to the introduction of several invasive species, including the Burmese pythons that have devastated small mammal populations in the Florida Everglades.
Van Wallach

Natural history

Most snakes do not spend much of their time doing anything but resting. A snake's primary activity is concerned with either thermoregulation or finding live food, which often involves passive waiting rather than active searching. The thermoregulation problem varies with latitude and altitude. The actions and reactions of a snake in temperate North America are distinct from those of one living in the American tropical lowlands but are similar to those of another living at higher altitudes in the Andes of Ecuador. No matter where they live, snakes are subjected to pressures from the living (biotic) parts of the environment as well as from the physical, nonliving (abiotic) parts. But the amount or degree of challenge to the snake from different segments of the environment changes drastically depending upon the region it inhabits. An individual living in the hot, humid tropics of Africa, with comparatively constant temperatures close to optimum throughout the year and ample moisture from both rainfall and the surroundings, faces environmental problems that are overwhelmingly biotic, involving competition with other members of its own species for food, the challenge from other species of snakes and perhaps other vertebrates for possession of the ecological niche, and constant pressure of the predators that find it a tasty morsel. On the other hand, the common adder, or European viper (Vipera berus), living north of the Arctic Circle in Europe, is the only snake present in the area and lives practically unchallenged in its niche. However, its survival is challenged continually by its physical environment, and death from overheating, freezing, or dehydration is a repetitive threat. These differences between animals from different parts of the world are reflected in their life histories, and it is neither possible nor legitimate to speak of the "life history of the snake" unless one speaks of only a single region or species.

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Snake, any of more than 3,400 species of reptiles distinguished by their limbless condition and greatly elongated body and tail. All snakes lack external limbs, but not all legless reptiles are snakes. Learn about snake biology, classification, and facts with this article.

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Otter, (subfamily Lutrinae), any of 13 or 14 species of semiaquatic mammals that belong to the weasel family ( Mustelidae) and are noted for their playful behaviour. The otter has a lithe and slender body with short legs, a strong neck, and a long flattened tail that helps propel the animal gracefully through water. Swimming ability is further enhanced in most species by four webbed feet. Two species are marine, with the others living predominantly in fresh water. Otters range in size from 3 kg (6.6 pounds) in the Asian small-clawed otter ( Aonyx cinereus, formerly Amblonyx cinereus) to 26 kg (57 pounds) in the giant otter ( Pteronura brasiliensis) and 45 kg (99 pounds) in the sea otter ( Enhydra lutris). Fur colour is various shades of brown with lighter underparts.

Jeff Foott Productions/Bruce Coleman Ltd.

Freshwater otters

The 11 species often referred to as river otters are found throughout North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia in freshwater ecosystems that sustain an abundance of prey such as fish, crayfish, crabs, mussels, and frogs. Most river otters are opportunistic, feeding on whatever is most easily obtained. Diet often varies seasonally or locally, depending on which prey is available. River otters hunt visually while chasing fish, but they use their manual dexterity to dislodge crabs and crayfish from under rocks. Sensory hairs on the snout called vibrissae also assist by sensing water turbulence. After being captured in the teeth or forefeet, prey is consumed either in the water or on shore. River otters hunt more effectively in shallow water than in deep water, and, although they are proficient swimmers, all prefer slow-swimming species of fish. African clawless otters ( Aonyx capensis) and Congo clawless otters ( A. congicus or A. capensis congicus) occupy murky waterways and thus rely more on manual dexterity than on vision to obtain food (mostly crabs) from under rocks. Their front feet are handlike and partially webbed.

Most travel is aquatic, but river otters can venture swiftly overland between bodies of water. They typically follow the shortest route possible and often establish much-used trails. While in the water, they constantly search features such as logjams and deepwater pools for prey. To rest, otters seek refuge in underground holes, rock crevices, beaver lodges, cavities in root systems, or simply dense vegetation along the shoreline. When not resting or eating, river otters can often be seen eagerly sliding down mud or snow banks. Many species establish regular latrine sites along the shores of lakes or rivers. Such stations may facilitate communication between individuals.

Litter size ranges from one to five. Young otters (pups) may fall prey to large raptors, and various carnivores may kill adults traveling on land. In warmer regions crocodiles and alligators are threats. However, most mortality results from human activities, in the form of road kills, drownings in fishnets, destruction as pests around fishing areas, or trapping for their fur.

Saltwater otters

Two otter species are strictly marine: the sea otter ( Enhydra lutris) of the Pacific Coast of North America and the much smaller marine otter ( Lontra felina) from the coast of Peru and Chile. Both rely exclusively on marine prey, although the sea otter can be found much farther offshore; the marine otter stays within about 100 metres (330 feet) of the shore.

sea otters Pburka

Sea otters are well adapted to marine life. The front and back feet are fully webbed; large lungs allow long dives and provide buoyancy and thick fur provides insulation. Sea otters can also drink salt water and thus can remain at sea for several days at a time. Sea otters are usually solitary but are sometimes seen in groups-gatherings of up to 2,000 have been observed along the coast of Alaska. At night, sea otters may choose either to sleep on land or simply to rest afloat near beds of kelp. They feed mainly on sea urchins, crabs, and various shellfish. Fish are also eaten. Captured prey is eaten at sea while the otter swims on its back. Rocks are typically used to break open crabs and shellfish, whereas sea urchins are crushed with the forefeet and teeth. Sea otter predation on the herbivorous urchins (genus Strongylocentrotus) enables kelp forests and the fish associated with them to flourish. However, large numbers of sea otters can deplete shellfish populations, conflicting with fisheries for crabs, clams, and abalones. Females give birth in water to only one young, which remains dependent on the mother until six to eight months of age. Sharks and killer whales eat sea otters on occasion.

The marine otter is really a freshwater otter that has learned to occupy marine environments in South America. This small (3-6 kg [6.6-13.2 pounds]) otter occurs on the Pacific coast from Peru through Chile and Tierra del Fuego in Argentina. It is mostly solitary, and only rarely do groups of more than three animals occur. Marine otters occupy the intertidal zone that covers the first 100-150 metres (roughly 330-500 feet) of coastal water and about 30 metres (100 feet) inland. They feed on crustaceans such as crabs and shrimp, as well as mollusks and fish. Interestingly, marine otters do not consume sea urchins as extensively as do sea otters, even though sea urchins often are common where marine otters live. Unlike sea otters, marine otters shelter in rock cavities for daytime rest and parturition.

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Otter, any of 13-14 species of semiaquatic mammals that belong to the weasel family and are noted for their playfulness. The otter is lithe and slender with short legs, a strong neck, and a long flat tail that helps propel it gracefully through water. Two species are marine; the others live mostly in fresh water.

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also called:

panda bear

(Show more)

giant panda, ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca), bear with striking black-and-white coloration inhabiting bamboo forests in the mountains of central China. Its coloration, combined with a bulky body and round face, gives it a captivating appearance that has endeared it to people worldwide. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, fewer than 1,900 pandas are thought to remain in the wild.

Large males may attain 1.8 metres (6 feet) in length and weigh more than 100 kg (220 pounds); females are usually smaller. Round black ears and black eye patches stand out against a white face and neck. Black limbs, tail, legs, and shoulders contrast with the white torso. The rear paws point inward, which gives pandas a waddling gait. Pandas can easily stand on their hind legs and are commonly observed somersaulting, rolling, and dust-bathing. Although somewhat awkward as climbers, pandas readily ascend trees and, on the basis of their resemblance to bears, are probably capable of swimming. An unusual anatomic characteristic is an enlarged wrist bone that functions somewhat like a thumb, enabling pandas to handle food with considerable dexterity.

Natural history

As much as 90-98 percent of the panda's diet consists of the leaves, shoots, and stems of bamboo, a large grass available year-round in much of China's forested regions. Despite adaptations in the forepaws, teeth, and jaws for bamboo consumption, the giant panda has retained the digestive system of its carnivore ancestry and is therefore unable to digest cellulose, a main constituent of bamboo. Pandas solve this problem by rapidly passing prodigious quantities of the grass through their digestive tracts on a daily basis. As much as 16 out of every 24 hours is spent feeding, and elimination of wastes occurs up to 50 times per day. Fossilized dental remains indicate that the giant panda committed to bamboo as its principal food source at least three million years ago. Although unable to capture prey, pandas retain a taste for meat, which is used as bait to capture them for radio collaring and has made them pests in human camps on occasion. The species cannot naturally survive outside bamboo forests, though in captivity they have been maintained on cereals, milk, and garden fruits and vegetables. Bamboo is the healthier diet for captive pandas.

The giant panda's solitary nature is underscored by its reliance on its sense of smell (olfaction). Each animal confines its activities to a range of about 4 to 6 square km (1.5 to 2.3 square miles), but these home ranges often overlap substantially. Under this arrangement scent functions in regulating contact between individuals. A large scent gland located just below the tail and surrounding the anus is used to leave olfactory messages for other pandas. The gland is rubbed against trees, rocks, and clumps of grass, with scent conveying information on identity, sex, and possibly social status of the marking individual. Chemical analysis of marks is consistent with a difference in function for males and females. Males appear to use scent to identify the areas where they live, whereas females primarily use it for signaling estrus. Except for the mothers' care of infants, the only social activity of pandas takes place during females' estrus, which occurs annually during the spring and lasts one to three days. A spring mating season (March-May) and a fall birth season (August-September) are seen in both wild and captive populations. Males appear to locate females first by scent and ultimately by vocalizations. Assemblages of one to five males per female have been recorded. At this time males may become highly aggressive as they compete for the opportunity to mate.

Like bears, giant pandas undergo a delay in implantation of the fertilized ovum into the wall of the uterus, a period of two to three months after mating. Hormone levels in females' urine indicate that the period of embryonic/fetal growth and development lasts only about two months. Altogether, gestation averages 135 days (with a range of 90-184 days), but, because of the short growth phase, a term fetus weighs only about 112 grams (4 ounces) on average. Relative to the mother, giant pandas produce the smallest offspring of any placental mammal (about 1/800 of the mother's weight). For the first two to three weeks of life, the mother uses her forepaws and her thumblike wrist bones to cuddle and position the infant against herself in a rather uncarnivore-like and almost human fashion. Nearly half of the 133 captive births recorded before 1998 were of twins, but panda mothers are typically unable to care for more than one infant. Reasons for the extremely small size of the offspring and the frequent production of twins are not understood, but both are traits shared with bears.

The newborn panda is blind and covered with only a thin all-white coat. It is virtually helpless, being able only to suckle and vocalize. It depends on its mother for warmth, nourishment, positioning at the breast, and stimulating the passage of wastes. Development is slow during the early months. Eyes begin to open at about 45 days, and the first wobbly steps are taken at 75-80 days. Its helpless state mandates birth in a den, an environment in which it lives for the first 100-120 days of life. By about 14 months, at which age the milk teeth have erupted, the infant readily consumes bamboo, and at 18-24 months weaning from the mother takes place. Separation from the mother must occur before a female can undertake the production of her next litter. Captive pandas may live beyond 30 years in captivity, but life span in the wild is estimated at about 20 years.

Conservation and classification

Fossils from northern Myanmar and Vietnam and much of China as far north as Beijing indicate that the giant panda was widely distributed throughout eastern Asia during the early Pleistocene Epoch (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago). Human destruction of its forest habitat, combined with poaching, has restricted the species to remote fragments of mountain habitat along the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan (Szechwan), Shaanxi (Shensi), and Gansu (Kansu). The total area of these habitats is about 13,000 square km (5,000 square miles), and in recent times periodic mass flowering and die-offs of bamboo have brought starvation for some populations. (Five to 10 years are required for bamboo forests to recover from these natural events.) Since the 1990s China has greatly expanded its conservation efforts, and it now regards the panda as a national treasure. The reserve system has been expanded from 14 sites to more than 40, and cooperative international arrangements were implemented to provide training in reserve management and captive breeding. The panda had long been considered an endangered species by the IUCN, but the environmental organization changed the status of the panda to " vulnerable " in 2016, because of China's success in restoring bamboo forest habitat.

Prior eras of giving pandas as gifts and of short-term commercial loans to zoos have given way to lending agreements that generate funds for preservation of the wild population. More than 120 pandas are maintained in captivity in China, and another 15 to 20 are found in zoos elsewhere. Captive populations are increasing. Su-Lin, the first of the giant pandas to be exhibited in the West, reached the United States as an infant in 1936 and was a popular attraction at the Brookfield Zoo, near Chicago, until its death in 1938. No European observed a live giant panda in the wild until the Walter Stötzner expedition of 1913-15, although Armand David, a Vincentian missionary, discovered some panda furs in 1869.

The classification of giant pandas has long been a subject of controversy. Anatomic, behavioral, and biochemical data have been used to place pandas with bears (family Ursidae), with raccoon s (Procyonidae), or in a family of their own (Ailuridae). Improved molecular analyses made during the 1990s strongly suggest bears as the giant panda's closest relatives, and many of their behavioral and reproductive characteristics are consistent with this placement.
Donald G. Lindburg

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Giant panda | Facts, Habitat, Population, & Diet

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Giant panda, bear with striking black-and-white coloration inhabiting bamboo forests in the mountains of central China. Its coloration, bulky body, and round face gives it a captivating appearance that has endeared it to people worldwide. Learn more about the giant panda in this article.

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penguin, (order Sphenisciformes), any of 18-21 species of flightless marine birds that live only in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority of species live not in Antarctica but rather between latitudes 45° and 60° S, where they breed on islands. A few penguins inhabit temperate regions, and one, the Galapagos penguin ( Spheniscus mendiculus), lives at the Equator.

General features

The stocky, short-legged appearance of penguins has endeared them to people worldwide. They range from about 35 cm (14 inches) in height and approximately 1 kg (about 2 pounds) in weight in the blue, or fairy, penguin ( Eudyptula minor) to 115 cm (45 inches) and 25 to 40 kg (55 to 90 pounds) in the emperor penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri). Most are black on the back and white below, often with lines of black across the upper breast or spots of white on the head. Colour is rare, being limited to red or yellow irises of the eye in some species; red beaks or feet in a few; yellow brow tufts in the three species of Eudyptes; and orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast in the emperor and king ( A. patagonica) penguins.

The total populations of some species, such as the emperor, are estimated in the hundreds of thousands, but most species of smaller penguins certainly run into the millions. Immense island breeding colonies, some teeming with hundreds of thousands of nesting pairs, represent a large potential food resource, but the economic importance of penguins is negligible. Nineteenth-century whalers and seal hunters visited some colonies for meat and eggs, and a penguin oil industry once took large numbers of the birds. By the early 20th century, however, this exploitation was no longer profitable, and most colonies were left alone or actively protected. Some species are now increasing in numbers, apparently as a result of the mid-20th century's decimation of Antarctic whales, which compete with penguins for the krill (minute crustaceans) on which both feed. Penguin populations, however, are highly vulnerable to changes in climate and ocean temperature, including recent global warming. Penguins also are very sensitive to depletion of local fish populations by humans.

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penguin, (order Sphenisciformes), any of 18-21 species of flightless marine birds that live only in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority of species live not in Antarctica but rather between latitudes 45° and 60° S, where they breed on islands. A few penguins inhabit temperate regions, and one, the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), lives at the Equator.

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Table of Contents

Where are cheetahs found in the wild?

What is the gestation period in a cheetah?

What is the lifespan of a cheetah?

How fast can a cheetah run?

Read a brief summary of this topic

cheetah, ( Acinonyx jubatus), one of the world's most-recognizable cats, known especially for its speed. Cheetahs' sprints have been measured at a maximum of 114 km (71 miles) per hour, and they routinely reach velocities of 80-100 km per hour while pursuing prey. Nearly all the cheetahs remaining in the wild live in Africa.

Cheetahs are covered almost entirely with small black spots on a background of pale yellow and have a white underbelly. Their faces are distinguished by prominent black lines that curve from the inner corner of each eye to the outer corners of the mouth, like a well-worn trail of inky tears. Cheetahs have a long, slender body measuring 1.2 metres (4 feet), with a long tail (65-85 cm [2-3 feet]) that generally ends in a white tuft. They are about 75 cm tall at the shoulder. Weight ranges from 34 to 54 kg (75 to 119 pounds), males being slightly larger than females.

Natural history

Cheetahs have evolved many adaptations that enhance their ability to sprint. Their legs are proportionally longer than those of other big cats; an elongated spine increases stride length at high speeds; they have unretractable claws, special paw pads for extra traction, and a long tail for balance. Internally, the liver, adrenal glands, lungs, bronchi, nasal passages, and heart are all large to allow intense physiological activity. During a chase, cheetahs take about 3 ¹/ ₂ strides per second and 60 to 150 breaths per minute. Chases are usually limited to sprints of less than 200-300 metres, however, because the increased physiological activity associated with running creates heat faster than it can be released through evaporative cooling (sweating through their paws and panting).

Unlike most carnivores, cheetahs are active mainly during the day, hunting in the early morning and late afternoon. A cheetah eats a variety of small animals, including game birds, rabbits, small antelopes (including the springbok, impala, and gazelle), young warthogs, and larger antelopes (such as the kudu, hartebeest, oryx, and roan). Prey is generally consumed quickly to avoid losing it to competitors such as lions, leopards, jackals, and hyenas.

Cheetahs inhabit a wide variety of habitats, including the dry, open country and grasslands where they are most often seen, as well as areas of denser vegetation and rocky upland terrain. Groups consist of a mother and her young or of coalitions made up of two or three males that are often brothers. Adult males and females rarely meet except to mate. Male coalitions live and hunt together for life and occupy an area that may overlap the range of several adult females. Female home ranges are generally much larger than those of male coalitions.

Following a gestation period of three months, the female gives birth to two to eight cubs, usually in an isolated spot hidden in the cover of tall grass or thicker vegetation. At birth, cubs weigh about 250 to 300 grams (slightly more than half a pound). Their fur is dark and includes a thick yellowish gray mane along the back, a trait that presumably offers better camouflage and increased protection from high temperatures during the day and low temperatures at night during the first few months of life. Mortality among young cubs can be as high as 90 percent in the wild, often because of other predators. The mother leaves her offspring when they are 16-24 months old. Young males are chased away by the resident male coalition, traveling several hundred kilometres before establishing residence and becoming sexually active at 2 ¹/ ₂ to 3 years of age. Female offspring will generally inhabit the same vicinity as their mother. Life expectancy of cheetahs is about 7 years in the wild and generally from 8 to 12 years in captivity.

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Cheetah | Description, Speed, Habitat, Diet, Cubs, & Facts

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cheetah, (Acinonyx jubatus), one of the world's most-recognizable cats, known especially for its speed. Cheetahs' sprints have been measured at a maximum of 114 km (71 miles) per hour, and they routinely reach velocities of 80-100 km per hour while pursuing prey. Nearly all the cheetahs remaining in the wild live in Africa.

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bald eagle, ( Haliaeetus leucocephalus), the only eagle solely native to North America, and the national bird of the United States.

The bald eagle is actually a sea eagle ( Haliaeetus species) that commonly occurs inland along rivers and large lakes. The adult male is about 90 cm (36 inches) long and has a wingspan of 2 metres (6.6 feet). Females, which grow somewhat larger than males, may reach 108 cm (43 inches) in length and have a wingspan of 2.5 metres (8 feet). Both sexes are dark brown, with a white head and tail. The bird is not actually bald; its name derives from the conspicuous appearance of its white-feathered head. The beak, eyes, and feet are yellow.

The bald eagle's nest is a large platform of sticks built atop a large, isolated tree or pinnacle of rock located within easy flight of water. Nests are usually about 1.5 metres (5 feet) wide, but old nests can be almost twice this size. The two or three eggs laid within take slightly longer than a month to hatch. Both parents share in the incubation and feeding of the young. The immature birds are brown with whitish tail and wing linings, but the pure white head and tail plumage do not appear until the birds are four to five years old.

Bald eagles pluck fish out of the water with their talons, and sometimes they follow seabirds as a means of locating fish. Bald eagles also rob ospreys of their fish. Besides live fish, bald eagles also prey on other birds, small mammals, snakes, turtles, and crabs, and they readily eat carrion.

Bald eagles may have numbered in the hundreds of thousands when they were declared the American national bird in 1782, but their numbers steadily declined over the next two centuries owing to human activities and persecution. The birds were hunted for sport, for bounties offered by state and federal governments, and because they were thought to menace livestock. In Alaska, where eagles perched on fish traps and scared away the salmon (an annoyance eventually overcome by fitting the traps with devices to discourage perching), Alaskan bounty hunters killed more than 100,000 eagles in the period 1917-52. The U.S. government's Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940 made it illegal to kill bald eagles (Alaska was exempt), but the birds' numbers continued to decline, primarily because of the effects of the pesticide DDT, which came into widespread agricultural use after World War II. This pesticide accumulated in the birds' tissues and interfered with the formation of the shells of their eggs; the thin, weak shells laid by heavily contaminated birds were easily broken and fewer young were produced. By the early 1960s, the number of bald eagles in the coterminous United States had dropped to fewer than 450 nesting pairs.

In 1972 the use of DDT was banned in the United States, and in 1978 the U.S. government declared the bald eagle an endangered species in all but a few of the northernmost states. By the late 1980s, these measures had enabled the birds to replenish their numbers in the wild. The bald eagle was reclassified from endangered to threatened status in 1995, by which time there were an estimated 4,500 nesting pairs in the lower 48 states. By 2000 the population had increased to more than 6,300 pairs, and in 2007 the bald eagle was removed from the U.S. list of endangered and threatened species.

Like all hawks and eagles, the bald eagle belongs to the family Accipitridae of the order Falconiformes.

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Bald eagle | Size, Habitat, Diet, & Facts

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Bald eagle, the only eagle solely native to North America, and the national bird of the United States. The bird is not actually bald; its name derives from the conspicuous appearance of its white-feathered head upon a dark brown body. Learn more about the appearance, habitat, and diet of bald eagles in this article.

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Emperor penguin, ( Aptenodytes forsteri), largest member of the penguin order (Sphenisciformes), which is known for its stately demeanor and black-and-white coloration. The species gathers together into approximately 50 colonies that settle on ice shelves and landfast ice along the coastline of Antarctica. Emperor penguins are capable of diving to depths of approximately 550 metres (1,800 feet) in search of food; they are the world's deepest-diving birds.

Physical features

Adults are coloured black and white with areas of orange and yellow on the head, neck, and breast. Some members of this species may grow to approximately 130 cm (about 50 inches) long and weigh 25 to 45 kg (55 to 100 pounds). Juveniles are smaller, and their plumage is similar to that of the adults, with pale white to light gray feathers in place of those coloured orange and yellow. The downy feathers on the bodies of chicks are silver-gray. Although the feathers that surround the eyes are coloured white, those that cover the rest of the head are black. The emperor penguin closely resembles the king penguin ( Aptenodytes patagonicus), a species of smaller stature that lives on several outlying Antarctic islands.

Predators and prey

Adept divers that can remain underwater for nearly 22 minutes, emperor penguins capture krill, fish, and squid that congregate under or near the edges of ice shelves. In addition, their endurance is such that some individuals have reached the South Shetland Islands, Tierra del Fuego, the Falkland Islands, the South Sandwich Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, Heard Island, and New Zealand. The species is prey for killer whales ( Orcinus orca), leopard seals ( Hydrurga leptonyx), and giant fulmars ( Macronectes giganteus).

Reproduction

Emperor penguins breed in large colonies. Breeding occurs in late March and early April when males and females return from foraging in the sea. Some 15 percent of adults are capable of finding their mate from the previous year despite the absence of a nest and the tremendous size of the colony.

Breeding is apparently timed to ensure that the long developmental period will produce fully fledged young in midsummer, when their chances of survival are greatest. Consequently, a single egg is laid in late May or early June just before the onset of the Antarctic winter. Incubation is done exclusively by the male, and it is begun immediately after egg laying. In the meantime, the female embarks on a journey of some 80 to 160 km (50 to 100 miles) from the colony to the sea, and she does not return until the incubation period concludes. Incubation lasts 60-68 days through gale-force winds and extremely cold temperatures that routinely dip below -50 °C (-58 °F). With no access to food, the male lives off his fat reserves. He holds the egg on the tops of his feet, draping a layer of skin over the egg to protect it from the harsh conditions. During violent winter storms, members of the colony gather for mutual protection in tightly packed crowds called huddles.

The chicks hatch in August, and the females return to the colony to relieve the males. Each chick stands on the feet of one of its parents until it is strong enough to withstand the cold of the Antarctic ice on its own. The cold, however, is not the only threat to the newly hatched young. The number of "unemployed" adults in the colony increases with the addition of those who have lost eggs or chicks, and such birds have been known to interfere with parents that have young and cause increased chick mortality.

During the crèche stage, in which many young emperor penguins form groups for protection against the cold and predators, the fuzzy down covering is replaced by a coat of short stiff feathers, which are similar in composition to those of the adult but are usually somewhat different in colour. Once this molt is complete, the juvenile penguin leaves the colony to seek its own food at sea. Juveniles become fully fledged in December and January during their first year of life; they will return to the colony to breed starting in their fifth year. Emperor penguins may live 20 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity.

Conservation status

The emperor penguin is considered a near threatened species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Ecologists have recorded population declines in some emperor penguin colonies. The largest population decline (50 percent) was observed between 1950 and 2000 in a colony located in the Terre Adélie region in East Antarctica. Many ecologists attribute these population decreases to climatic changes associated with global warming. The species spends nearly all of its time on or near the permanent ice pack so it can be close to its prey, which also depends on sea ice coverage. The ice shelves also serve as breeding grounds and nurseries. With the breakup of large areas of sea ice, such as the loss of 60 percent of the Larsen Ice Shelf between 1995 and 2002 and the partial collapse of the Wilkins Ice Shelf in 2008, emperor penguin habitat has declined, resulting in the production of fewer young and higher rates of chick mortality. Despite the discovery of additional colonies, which lifted the estimated number of breeding pairs to more than 275,000, scientific models predict drastic population decreases in emperor penguin colonies along the Antarctic Peninsula as sea ice coverage continues to fall.
John P. Rafferty

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animal social behaviour: Social interactions involving the costs and benefits of parental care

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...Antarctic Convergence, but only three-the emperor penguin, Antarctic petrel, and South Polar (McCormick's) skua-breed exclusively on the continent or on nearby islands. An absence of mammalian land predators and the rich offshore food supply make Antarctic coasts a haven for immense seabird rookeries. Penguins, of the order Sphenisciformes, symbolize this...

sound reception: Uses of hearing in birds

...the breeding period of the emperor penguin, for example, the male leaves his mate for a journey taking many days in order to obtain food. Upon returning to the general area where his mate has remained with a pack of hundreds of birds, the male is able to locate and...

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emperor penguin | Characteristics, Height, Habitat, Diet, & Facts

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Emperor penguin, largest member of the penguin order, which is known for its stately demeanor and black-and-white coloration. Emperor penguins are capable of diving to depths of approximately 550 meters (1,800 feet) in search of food; they are the world's deepest-diving birds.

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King penguin, ( Aptenodytes patagonicus), second largest member of the penguin order (Sphenisciformes), characterized by its dignified, upright posture, long bill, and vivid coloration. Although many ornithologists divide the species into two subspecies, Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus and A. patagonicus halli, some ornithologists claim that such a separation is unnecessary. King penguins are found on several Antarctic and subantarctic islands; breeding populations of A. patagonicus patagonicus occur on South Georgia, the Falkland Islands, and the South Sandwich Islands, whereas those of A.patagonicus halli inhabit the Crozet Islands, the Kerguelen Islands, the Prince Edward Islands, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, and Macquarie Island. The species bears a striking resemblance to its larger but less colourful relative, the emperor penguin ( A. forsteri).

Physical features

Adults have black feathers on their back, white feathers on their chest and underside, and bright orange feathers on their ear patches and just below their throat. Adults also display an orange teardrop-shaped patch on the lower part of the bill. Fully grown king penguins may reach 85-95 cm (33-37 inches) in length and weigh 14-17 kg (about 31-37 pounds), with males weighing slightly more than females. The plumage of juveniles is similar to that of adults; however, many of their black feathers have gray tips, yellow feathers cover the ear patches, and grayish white feathers colour the lower neck. King penguin chicks are covered with a thick down of dark brown feathers until they molt at 10-12 months of age.

Predators and prey

Although king penguins may eat squid and crustaceans, nearly all of their diet is made up of fish, especially lantern fish. Barracudinas and escolars (snake mackerels) are also consumed. Adults and juveniles are prey for leopard seals ( Hydrurga leptonyx) and killer whales ( Ornicus orca), whereas giant fulmars ( Macronectes giganteus), skuas ( Catharacta), and snowy sheathbills ( Chionis alba) prey upon eggs and chicks.

Nesting and breeding

Most king penguin populations breed twice in three years, with a few populations producing offspring once every other year. Breeding occurs in dense colonies of thousands of individuals, usually along flat shoreline areas adjacent to the Southern Ocean. A single egg is produced on a 14- to 18-month cycle, and the timing of an individual pair depends on the success or failure of the previous breeding attempt. To attract a female, the male engages in a behaviour called an ecstatic display, in which he produces a trumpet call and stretches his head upward to become as tall as possible. Both partners then participate in a visual display in which the head is shaken or alternately thrown back and dropped downward toward the chest. The pair is monogamous throughout the remainder of the breeding season.

Egg laying can occur anytime between November and March of the first year in the sequence. In a manner similar to that of the emperor penguin, the egg is placed on the tops of the feet of one of the parents, and the adult covers the egg with its abdomen. The egg is held against a layer of highly vascularized skin (brood patch). Each parent takes a turn holding the egg while the other returns to the sea to feed. Roughly 54 days later a chick emerges from the egg. For the first month or more after hatching, the chick continues to be warmed by the feet and brood patch of alternating parents, in addition to being fed, until it is large enough to survive on its own. During the subsequent 313-day fledging period, both parents forage for extended periods, and the chick may go 3-5 months between feedings. While its parents are away, the chick will gather with other young in crèches (groups of young) for protection. The young become completely independent at the end of the fledging period and become sexually mature at about six years old, with some individuals breeding successfully as early as four years old. King penguins have a maximum life span of 26 years in the wild and 41 years in captivity.

Conservation status

The IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species ranks the king penguin as a species of least concern. Ecologists maintain that there are between one million and two million breeding pairs worldwide, and this number is increasing. During the 19th and 20th centuries king penguins were harvested for blubber, oil, eggs, and feathers until a commercial hunting ban was put into place in 1969. Although poaching has continued, it has been insignificant.
John P. Rafferty

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Penguin, (order Sphenisciformes), any of 18-21 species of flightless marine birds that live only in the Southern Hemisphere. The majority of species live not in Antarctica but rather between latitudes 45° and 60° S, where they breed on islands. A few penguins inhabit temperate regions, and one, the Galapagos penguin...

South Georgia, mountainous barren island in the South Atlantic Ocean, 800 miles (1,300 km) east-southeast of the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). It is part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, although Argentina also claims the territory. South Georgia...

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King penguin, ( Aptenodytes patagonicus), second largest member of the penguin order (Sphenisciformes), characterized by its dignified, upright posture, long bill, and vivid coloration. Although many ornithologists divide the species into two subspecies, Aptenodytes patagonicus patagonicus and A. patagonicus halli, some ornithologists claim that such a separation is unnecessary.

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shark, any of numerous species of cartilaginous fishes of predatory habit that constitute the order Selachii (class Chondrichthyes).

Sharks, together with rays and skates, make up the subclass Elasmobranchii of the Chondrichthyes. Sharks differ from other elasmobranchs, however, and resemble ordinary fishes, in the fusiform shape of their body and in the location of their gill clefts on each side of the head. Though there are exceptions, sharks typically have a tough skin that is dull gray in colour and is roughened by toothlike scales. They also usually have a muscular, asymmetrical, upturned tail; pointed fins; and a pointed snout extending forward and over a crescentic mouth set with sharp triangular teeth. Sharks have no swim bladder and must swim perpetually to keep from sinking to the bottom.

There are more than 400 living species of sharks, taxonomically grouped into 14-30 families, according to different authorities. Several larger species can be dangerous to humans. The largest predatory sharks, such as the white shark and tiger shark, are often considered to be the apex predators (meaning without a natural predator or enemy) of their marine environments. Numerous sharks are fished commercially. However, overfishing in the late 20th and early 21st centuries substantially reduced the populations of some shark species.

Description and habits

Shark species are nondescript in colour, varying from gray to cream, brown, yellow, slate, or blue and often patterned with spots, bands, marblings, or protuberances. The oddest-looking sharks are the hammerheads ( Sphyrna), whose heads resemble double-headed hammers and have an eye on each stalk, and the wobbegongs (family Orectolobidae), whose skin flaps and protective coloration closely resemble the seafloor. The vernacular of shark names indicate colours in living species, such as the blue ( Prionace glauca), the white ( Carcharodon carcharias; also known as the great white shark), and the lemon ( Negaprion brevirostris) shark.

The whale shark ( Rhincodon typus) and the basking shark ( Cetorhinus maximus), both of which may weigh several tons, are harmless giants that subsist on plankton strained from the sea through modified gill rakers. Whale sharks may grow up to 18 metres (59 feet) in length, whereas basking sharks may reach 14 metres (46 feet) fully grown. All other sharks prey on smaller sharks, fish, squid, octopuses, shellfish, other invertebrates, and, in some species, trash. The largest among the more predatory species is the voracious 6-metre (20-foot) white shark, which attacks seals, dolphins, sea turtles, large fish, and occasionally people. The more sluggish Greenland shark ( Somniosus microcephalus) of cold deep waters feeds on seals, large fish, and even swimming reindeer; they may also scavenge whale carcasses.

Normally, sharks feed on fish, often attacking in schools. Open-ocean species such as the mackerel ( Lamna), mako ( Isurus), and thresher ( Alopias) sharks frequently feed near the surface and are much sought after with rod and reel for sport. Beautifully streamlined and powerful swimmers, those open-ocean sharks are adept at feeding on fast tuna, marlin, and the like. Bottom-feeding species of sharks are stout, blunt-headed forms that tend to have more-sluggish habits. The shellfish eaters among them have coarse, pavementlike, crushing teeth.

Fertilization in sharks is internal. The male introduces sperm into the female by using special copulatory organs (claspers) derived from the pelvic fins. The young in many species hatch from eggs within the female and are born alive. Other species may lay eggs or nurture their young in the uterus with a placental attachment to the mother, like humans. Some species may even consume their siblings before they are born.

The origin of sharks is obscure, but their geologic record goes back at least to the Devonian Period (419.2 million to 358.9 million years ago). Fossil sharklike fish appeared in the Middle Devonian Epoch and became the dominant vertebrates of the Carboniferous Period (358.9 million to 298.9 million years ago). Modern sharks appeared in the Early Jurassic Epoch (201.3 million to 174.1 million years ago) and by the Cretaceous Period (145 million to 66 million years ago) had expanded into the present-day families. Overall, evolution has modified shark morphology very little except to improve their feeding and swimming mechanisms. Shark teeth are highly diagnostic of species, both fossil and modern.

Sharks' geographic ranges are not well known. Their extensive movements are related to reproductive or feeding activities or to seasonal environmental changes. Tagging returns from large sharks on the east coast of the United States indicate regular movements between New Jersey and Florida, and blue sharks have been recovered after crossing the southern Atlantic Ocean. A tagged spiny dogfish ( Squalus acanthias) was recovered after traveling about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) in 129 days. Advances in tracking technologies include the use of satellite tags that continuously beam a signal to orbiting satellites whenever the shark surfaces and in that manner reveal north-south movements, transoceanic movements, and roaming and migratory patterns that are beginning to be understood for many species.

Some members of the Carcharhinus genus-most notably the bull shark ( C. leucas)-enter fresh waters. Riverine sharks are small to medium-sized and are exceptionally voracious and bold.

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Shark, any of numerous species of cartilaginous fishes that make up the order Selachii (class Chondrichthyes). Most species have a tough skin that is dull gray in color and roughened by toothlike scales. The mouth contains sharp triangular teeth. Sharks lack a swim bladder and must swim to keep from sinking.

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Fastest mammal on land, the cheetah can reach speeds of 60 or perhaps even 70 miles (97 or 113 kilometers) an hour over short distances. It usually chases its prey at only about half that speed, however. After a chase, a cheetah needs half an hour to catch its breath before it can eat.

The cheetah's excellent eyesight helps it find prey during the day. The cheetah is hard to see because its spotted coat blends with the tall, dry grass of the plains. Suddenly, the cheetah makes a lightning dash. It knocks its prey to the ground and then bites its throat. Once found throughout Asia and Africa, cheetahs today are racing toward extinction. Loss of habitat and declining numbers of their prey combine to threaten the future of these cats. Cheetahs live and hunt mainly in open grasslands and bushy areas in parts of Africa and the Middle East.

Cheetahs eat small- to medium-size animals, such as hares, impalas, wildebeest calves, and gazelles.

Because of their size, strength, and predatory skills, cheetahs are considered one of the "big cats." Tigers, lions, leopards, jaguars, and cougars are also part of this grouping.

Take the big cat quiz to see how much you know about these fierce felines. Then, just for fun, see which wild cat you're most like with our personality quiz.

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Fastest mammal on land, the cheetah can reach speeds of 60 or perhaps even 70 miles (97 or 113 kilometers) an hour over short distances. It usually chases its prey at only about half that speed, however. After a chase, a cheetah needs half an hour to catch its breath before it can eat.

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Polar Bear | National Wildlife Federation

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Learn facts about the polar bear’s habitat, diet, life history, and more.

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North American River Otter

Lontra canadensis

Status: Not Listed

Description

The playful North American river otter is well adapted for semi-aquatic living. The mammals have thick, protective fur to help them keep warm while swimming in cold waters. They have short legs, webbed feet for faster swimming, and a long, narrow body and flattened head for streamlined movement in the water. A long, strong tail helps propels the otter through the water. They can stay underwater for as many as eight minutes. North American river otters have long whiskers, which they use to detect prey in dark or cloudy water, and clawed feet for grasping onto slippery prey. They are very flexible and can make sharp, sudden turns that help them catch fish. Their fur is dark brown over much of the body, and lighter brown on the belly and face. On land a river otter can run at speeds of up to 15 miles (24 kilometers) an hour-they can slide even faster. Their playful snow and mud sliding, tail chasing, water play, and snow burrowing activities also serve other purposes-they help strengthen social bonds and let young otters practice hunting techniques.

A river otter can grow three to four feet (0.9 to 1.2 meters) long including its tail and weigh between 11 and 30 pounds (5 to 14 kilograms). Males are generally larger than females. The tail makes up about a third of their total length.

Range

The North American river otter occurs in much of Canada and the United States, except for portions of the Southwest, and in Mexico in the Rio Grande and Colorado River delta areas. They can thrive in any water habitat, such as ponds, marshes, lakes, rivers, and estuaries-in cold, warm, or even high-elevation areas-as long as the habitat provides adequate food. River otter dens are along the water in abandoned burrows or empty hollows. The dens have entrances underwater so they can be easily accessed from the water. Bobcats, alligators, coyotes, raptors, and other large predators will sometimes prey on North American river otters.

Diet

River otters eat a variety of aquatic wildlife, such as fish, crayfish, crabs, frogs, birds' eggs, birds and reptiles such as turtles. They have also been known to eat aquatic plants and to prey on other small mammals, such as muskrats or rabbits. They have a very high metabolism, so they need to eat frequently.

Behavior

River otters communicate with whistles, yelps, growls, and screams, as well as touch and body posture. They also scent mark using scent glands near the base of their tails that produce a strong, musky odor.

Life History

River otters breed in late winter or early spring. Adults generally give birth to between one and three pups, which are blind and helpless when born. They first learn to swim after about two months. River otters generally live alone or in small social groups. They can live eight to nine years in the wild but have lived up to 21 years in captivity.

Conservation

North American river otters were hunted and trapped extensively for their fur in the 19th and 20th centuries, and are still hunted in some places. They were extirpated from portions of their range, but conservation and reintroduction efforts are helping populations to recover. However habitat destruction and water pollution still puts these animals at great risk, especially because they are so specialized.

Fun Fact

North American river otters can close their nostrils to keep water out during long dives.

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North American River Otter | National Wildlife Federation

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Lontra canadensis Status: Not Listed Description The playful North American river otter is well adapted for semi-aquatic living. The mammals have thick, protective fur to help them keep warm while swimming in cold waters. They have short legs, webbed feet for faster swimming, and a long, narrow body and flattened head for streamlined movement in the water.

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DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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Visit DK Find Out! to learn about dinosaurs, space, animals, nature & more. Fun learning activities for kids with videos, quizzes & galleries at DKFindOut.com

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Sea otter is one of many animals that live in the coast of eastern and northern North Pacific Ocean. This marine mammal can grow and reach its weight up to 45 kg for the adults.

Even though sea otter can walk in the land, but it spends its time mostly in the water. It can swim and dive up to the sea floor to find its prey such as sea urchin, molluscs, crustaceans, and some species of fish.

Because of its smart brain, sea otter uses its hand and take a rock to dislodge the invertebrate animal from its shell before the sea otter eats it. The existence of sea otter is helping the ecosystem to be balance. A high number population of sea urchin can be reduce and reach its normal number of population because sea otter feeds on it. The impact if the number of sea urchin is high is affecting the kelp forest ecosystem and even can destroy it. Sadly, sea otters nowadays are being hunted for their fur.

Their fur is being hunted because sea otter has the most thick and densest coat fur. And today, I would like to share you with about some threats to sea otter that is threatening this small marine mammal.

Meanhwhile, not only Sea otter, Threats also attack other species like Threats to Marine Mammals until Threats to Marine Life. Then, for knowing what types of threat to sea otter that actually happened, here the information for you, as follows:
1. Predation
As we all know, every animal has predator and prey. And for the sea otter's case, when the ecosystem become unbalance and the number of its predator is higher than the number of sea otter it self, it means that sea otter will be no longer exist. Some of the sea otter predators are orca, sea lion, and bald eagle.
2. Oil spills
Because of the activity in the sea will never ends because many people rely their life on it as a fisherman, it means that the chance of oil spills will also be there. Because oil is made for machine and not for living beings, then when sea otter accidentally eat something that is covered by oil, then surely it will die soon.
3. Ship activities
What is bad from ship activities in the sea is that the desire of the fisherman that want to go to the open ocean as soon and as fast as possible. And to be in the open ocean as soon as possible, they will just increase the speed of the ship to its maximum. There are so many cases of marine mammals that die or even injured because the fisherman drive its ship too fast and they don't see the existence of marine mammals in front of their ship.
4. Illegal hunting
The amount of Overfishing in the Ocean also rise up recently. Not only fisherman, but there are also a lot of people who like to collect such an antique and unique things. Such as, product made from the sea otter's fur coat. Because there is a demand for the fur, means there are also people who will work to fulfill the demand for money. And this is ended up as an illegal hunting. Therefore, we must know first the Solutions to Stop Overfishing.
5. Habitat destruction
Threats to Marine Habitats is likely to be concerning point in this era. Another threats to sea otter that you can see is the habitat destruction. Habitat destruction may takes many form. Such as, when a human wants to build a house near the coast because he or she is a fisherman. For sure, these people will destroy the habitat of the sea otter.
6. Natural disaster
The existence of natural disaster also become the threat for the sea otter. There are so many natural disaster that might happen in the sea such as tsunami, storm, and etc. As you know, natural disaster won't let all number in the sea otter population alive, there will be some of them that died because of the disaster.

See also:
7. Sedimentation
Sedimentation is the accumulation of many kind of material that can change a certain habitat. And there will be no exception if sedimentation covered up the sea otter's habitat. By time time goes by, sedimentation will become more solid and hard to remove. This is also become the threat for the existence of sea otters. (See also: Ocean Sediments)
8. Littering
You must know that we are not allowed to litter in the sea and we are not supposed to do it as well. Because there are so many product using plastic as its packaging, the existence of plastic will harm the sea otter as well. Littering in the sea more over if it is plastic will also cover the sea otter's habitat. What is so bad is that plastic can last for hundred of years. So it will stay and polluting the habitat.
9. Coastal development
There are so many countries that has a natural diversity. Many of them also using the nature to attract tourist for their money. To attract the tourist, surely the government or local entrepreneur will do such a coastal development to develop the facility that they have. Some of them are ignoring the fact that there are so many animals including sea otter that is being force to go from their own habitat because of this.
10. Entertainment
When you go to a recreation place such as safari park you will see a lot of animals doing many kind of attractions. The attractions surely having an aim to entertain the visitor. As long as the animal is threaten well then that will be okay but there are also still exist some people who is catching sea otter for entertainment purpose but can't taking a good care of it so it dies faster than it used to be. This is also become the threats to sea otter.
11. Air pollution
Ocean Pollution as well as Air pollution may have many form. Usually in the coastal area, the pollution may come from the ship's chimney, factory, and etc. If the pollution still happening, this will affecting the respiratory health of sea otter.
12. Water pollution
Many people who comes to the beach will do a sun bathing, surfing, or even swimming. All of them mostly will use sunblock to minimalize the effect of sunlight that can burn their skin. The lotion will polluting the water because it will decay from your skin. Therefore, we need to know how to keep Prevention of Marine Pollution
13. Agricultural run off
Farmer usually using pesticide to keep their plants healthy from pests. Pesticide given by the farmer to the plats and also the soil can be brought by the rain to the sea. And somehow you can see it as another type of water pollution toward the sea water which can affecting the live of sea otter when the number of pesticide is too high.
14. Landslide
Landslide may happen because the existence of tree in the mountain or hill is not enough to hold the soil. And so by then, the soil will slide to the sea. And when the soil is sliding to the sea it can both destroy the sea otter's habitat and killing them.
15. Lack of attention
We can't denied that the lack of attention towards sea otter is also become the threats to sea otter. Many people may see that sea otter is just a small animal and it even can breed twice a year which means it is not so important to protect this species. (See also: Marine Protected Areas)
16. Infectious disease
Just like humans, animals also can get affected by some disease. The disease may come from the environment surround the animals that is not healthy and it affected the animal's health. Some of the disease even can killing them including the sea otter.
17. Nutritional deficiencies
Because there are so many factors that changing the environment where the sea otter lives, those factor such as pollution will also affecting the nutrition needed by sea otter. This is because pollution become a toxic substance that can poisoning the sea otter's body.
18. Unbalance ecosystem
And unbalance ecosystem will also affecting the population of sea otter. Where their prey has a lower number than them then in the end they will surely die.
19. Lack of protection
Somehow, government and several private institution only care the most to some big species of animal and forgetting about the other animal.
20. Animal testing
Last one, as the threats to sea otter is the existence of animal testing for several purpose that can also declining their number. It also become big impact to marine animals ecosystem. This kind of activity can decrease the amount of animals, as well as destruct the sustainability of marine habitat.

So, this is the end of today's article of threats to sea otter. Hopefully through this article you can increase your awareness toward another living beings and also its ecosystem. Remember that from a little things that we do, it can create a big impact toward the others.

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20 Threats to Sea Otter - Solutions - DeepOceanFacts.com

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Sea otter is one of many animals that live in the coast of eastern and northern North Pacific Ocean. This marine mammal can grow and reach its weight up to 45 kg for the adults. Even though sea otter can walk in the land, but it spends its time mostly in the water.

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﻿ Dangers: Predators: Some preadators to the sea otter are sharks, killer whales, eagles, and bears. Human causes: Oil spills are a big danger to otters. The oil coats the fur, which causes the...

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Sea Otter Facts & Information For Kids, Pictures, Video & More

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Sea otter information & facts. Learn about this amazing marine mammal, pictures, video & list of facts for kids. Part of Active Wild’s Arctic Animal series.

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Most polar bears could disappear by the end of the century, scientists say. Global warming is to blame.

According to a study published this month in Nature Climate Change, most polar bear populations will be in serious decline by 2080. The cause is melting sea ice. Polar bears hunt seals on the ice. Without ice, the bears must roam on the shore, where they are spending more and more time away from their main food source. That means the animals could starve.

"There's not enough food on land to sustain a polar bear population," Péter K. Molnár told the New York Times. He is the study's lead author.

Lack of food leads to another problem: Mother bears may not be fat enough to produce milk for their cubs. Some bear populations could stop having babies, leading to a rapid decline in numbers.

Polar bears are the largest land carnivores on the planet. They help keep other animal populations in check. Losing them would throw habitats off-balance. "Their loss would reverberate throughout the ecosystem," Marika Holland says. She's one of the authors of the study.

Arctic sea ice usually melts in the spring and summer, then grows in the winter. But now, the ice is taking longer to grow back. Weather statistics say the Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. Ice in the region has declined 13% every 10 years since the 1970s.

The Arctic is home to roughly 25,000 polar bears. Scientists have long known that the animals are in danger. This study, which looked at 13 of the world's 19 polar bear populations, is the first to identify when they could disappear.

But the study also notes that it is still possible to slow Arctic melting. The world can reduce the burning of fossil fuels and lower the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. It would have to be a drastic reduction. Bringing emissions to only a moderate level will still mean the loss of some polar bears.

Saving the bears is up to us, Holland says. "I believe that there is hope," she says. "But humans need to act quickly to turn that hope into a reality."

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Most polar bears could disappear by the end of the century, scientists say. Global warming is to blame. According to a study published this month in Nature Climate Change, most polar bear populations will be in serious decline by 2080....

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Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids

Check out these fun dolphin facts for kids. Learn about different types of dolphins, how they communicate with each other and much more.

Read on and enjoy these interesting facts about dolphins.

Compared to other animals, dolphins are believed to be very intelligent.

Dolphins are carnivores (meat eaters).

The Killer Whale (also known as Orca) is actually a type of dolphin.

Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well known type of dolphin.

Female dolphins are called cows, males are called bulls and young dolphins are called calves.

Dolphins live in schools or pods of up to 12 individuals.

Dolphins often display a playful attitude which makes them popular in human culture. They can be seen jumping out of the water, riding waves, play fighting and occasionally interacting with humans swimming in the water.

Dolphins use a blowhole on top of their heads to breathe.

Dolphins have excellent eyesight and hearing as well as the ability to use echolocation for finding the exact location of objects.

Dolphins communicate with each other by clicking, whistling and other sounds.

Some dolphin species face the threat of extinction, often directly as a result of human behavior. The Yangtze River Dolphin is an example of a dolphin species which may have recently become extinct.

Some fishing methods, such as the use of nets, kill a large number of dolphins every year.

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Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Dolphins

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Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids Check out these fun dolphin facts for kids. Learn about different types of dolphins, how they communicate with each other and much more.

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Everybody loves dolphins. What's not to love? Dolphins are playful and cute, but also very intelligent! Read on for our amazing dolphin facts. Bet you don't know all of these!

We know plenty about dolphins today, but we still don't know all that much about their past.

There are lots of ideas about how dolphins have evolved and some fossil remains have been found, but nothing has really given us a whole picture of their past.

Cool Dolphin Facts Infographic

check out our dolphins infographic! We call it "Dolphins Illustrated".

The one thing that the crazy scientists think is that dolphins were much smaller hundreds of years ago.

Also, dolphins use something called 'echolocation', a complex way of communicating and finding prey through sound waves, and it is thought that dolphins have developed this skill to protect themselves.

Pretty neat huh?

But there are also other theories! You'll be surprised by this. Some people believe that they evolved from land animals. What? Their land 'ancestor' lived about 50 million years ago and looked like a wolf.

Sounds rather strange, but apparently they hunted in shallow waters and then adapted to life in the water.

We know this as a dolphins forelegs became flippers, their hind legs disappeared completely, and the fluke (the name for the tail) arrived.

Also, their fur disappeared and their nostrils moved to the top of their head.

Who knows whether this is true or not.

In Ancient Greece it was not at all cool to kill a dolphin. Good for them. If people did, they could be punished by death. They called dolphin's 'hieros ichthys' which means 'sacred fish'.

The sun god, Apollo, took the form of a dolphin when he found his oracle at Delphi at Mount Parnassus. Interesting.

Protecting Dolphins and Extinction

As with a lot of animals, they are becoming endangered, and the dolphin is no exception.

Some dolphin species face the threat of distinction. How sad. And their greatest enemy is none other than us humans.

They get caught in nets when boats are out fishing, or they hit boats, and this kills loads of dolphins every year.

The Yangtze River Dolphin is a species which may be extinct as none have been seen for a very long time.

Dolphin Quick Fire Facts

Dolphins are meant to be very intelligent animals.

Female dolphins are called cows, males are bulls and young dolphins are called calves. Just like cows themselves.

Dolphins stick together and have some awesome friends. They hand out in schools, or pods of up to 12 of them.

The dolphin is the only mammal that gives birth with the tail first instead of the head, and this is to make sure their baby doesn't drown. Animals are amazing.

Dolphins stay with their moms for about 2 to 3 years. Can you imagine going out into the world by yourself at 3...wow that would be a challenge.

They are very playful animals, which is probably why humans love them so much and are so fascinated by them.

You could see them jumping out the water, riding waves, play-fighting, and sometimes they'll even come and give you a quick nudge to say hi if you're in the water with them!

They also like to tease a bit. Amazingly they also play with seaweed. All the toys we've got and dolphins play with seaweed...awesome. Perhaps you should try it one day.

Dolphins can't actually breathe out of their mouths. So how do they breathe? Well they use the blowhole at the top of their heads, which is like a big nostril.

You must have heard dolphins making clicking and whistling sounds...well this is how they chat to each other. Wouldn't it be great to learn their language and talk to them too?

Wow, there are a lot of different types of dolphins. There are 36 different species of ocean dolphins and 5 species of river dolphins. Most live in saltwater but some of them live in freshwater, mostly the Amazon River.

Dolphins live for about 17 years in the wild, but there have been some that have lived up to the age of 50. In dolphin years that's a lot.

They are carnivores, which mean they eat meat including fish and squid. Yum.

Dolphins have about 100 teeth, but some dolphins have 8 teeth and there are others with 250. Bottlenose dolphins have 72-104 teeth.

They only get one set of teeth for life. They don't actually use them to eat amazingly. Try and eat something without your teeth; it could be rather difficult.

What they do is they catch their prey with their teeth and then swallow them whole. They don't have any jaw muscles so that's why they can't chew. Surprising they don't get tummy aches.

They eat about 30 pounds (about 14 kilograms) of fish each day.

We know they're clever, but the way they catch their prey is brilliant. The whole pod works as a team and they get a school of fish surrounded and balled up, so that they're much easier to eat.

They then each take a turn and go right through the middle of the school of fish and munch away. Clever indeed.

They use all sorts of ways to make sure they get their dinner; they might jump or do zig-zag patters, circles or a combination of all to make sure they catch their fish.

Dolphins have a cool time under the water, playing and swimming, but they can't actually breathe underwater.

So how do they get air? Well they come up for air all the time, which is why you'll see the above the water.

They can stay underwater for between 20 seconds and 30 minutes. Do you think you could hold your breath for 30 minutes? Don't think so.

More Cool Facts About Dolphins

Unbelievably the Killer Whale (also called an Orca) is one massive dolphin. It is the largest dolphin around.

This is amazing. How did the Killer Whale get its name? This is because it separates baby whales from their pods and eats them! No way. They also eat other dolphins. That's not cool to eat part of your family.

Who would have thought that dolphins can actually swim up to 850 feet (260 meters) below the ocean? Well it's true. This is cool. The deepest a dolphin has ever dived was 1,000 feet (300 meters).

The dolphin was a US Navy trained dolphin and her name was Tuffy.

How awesome. But most dolphins spend most of their time in less than 2 meters (about 7 feet) of water. Well done Tuffy!

Dolphins have often been seen helping humans. How kind. They sometimes help with fishing and have even helped with rescues. That's awesome.

Dolphins vary in size from super small to super large, depending on what type of dolphin it is.

The large ones can weigh up to 11 tons (nearly 10,000 kilograms), which is about the same as four cars, and they can be about 30 feet (9 meters) long.

Then the smaller ones will weigh about 90 pounds (40 kilograms) and be 4 feet (about 1 meter) long. What a big difference.

A dolphin's body is made to help them move through the water quickly and without using too much energy.

They rely on their pectoral fins and the fluke (tail) to help them navigate their way through the water.

Dolphins certainly don't need glasses; they have excellent eyesight both in the water and out. So you can't hide anything from them, that's for sure.

They can even hear really well, about 10 times better than humans. Be careful what you say around dolphins as you don't want to hurt their feelings!

But they can't actually smell very well, so you might be able to hide your lunch from them.

Amazingly dolphins have two stomachs, just like cows. The first one stores all their food and the second one does all the hard work of digesting the food.

Just like our finger prints, the dorsal fin on every dolphin is completely unique; there are no two the same.

Dolphins can swim up to a speed of 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour for long periods of time. That is seriously fast. But they normally travel at speeds of about 5 miles (about 8 kilometers) per hour.

This is because their motion is most efficient at these speeds.

When they swim faster, this is when you'll see them jump clear out of the water. This helps them save up some energy as the air provides a lot less resistance than the water.

Dolphins love their pod family; they've often been seen caring for the sick and the elderly as well as injured dolphins. What kind animals.

So dolphins are really cute and sweet, but did you know they can actually be quite aggressive if pushed too far. Make sure you're super friendly.

A dolphin's brain comes in second for size when compared to its body size. Number one is the human brain!

A dolphin's skin is very sensitive and delicate and can be easily damaged. Make sure you touch them gently if you ever get the chance.

Now this is an amazing fact. Only one side of a dolphin's brain sleeps at a time. Weird right? This allows them to be able to breathe and to watch for threats even while they are resting.

Marine dolphins sleep with one eye open and the other eye closed. Dolphins have to be conscious to breathe and each part of their brain takes a turn to get some much needed shut eye.

When the left side of the brain rests, the right eye of the dolphin is closed and when the right side of the brain rests the left eye is closed.

Do dolphins have hair? Most of them don't except for a few hairs they're born with. But there is one dolphin that has a small amount of hair, the Boto River Dolphin who keeps the hair until they're an adult.

Dolphins have the most amazing healing process and no one understands why. Even if they've got a big shark bite, they heal quickly whereas other animals would lose too much blood.

How they do that, nobody knows.

Do dolphins drink water? Well surprisingly not as it's very salty; hardly surprising, salt water doesn't taste all that good.

They get all the water they need from their food and if they do need water they can burn their fat. Wow.

Some dolphins can see colors and others can't; some only see in shades of grey, while others see blue-green colors.

Fish normally swim with their tails moving from side to side, but dolphins swim by moving their tails up and down. They really are a unique animal.

Dolphins are better swimmers than fish and this is because they carry loads more oxygen in their blood than fish, which helps them to swim longer than a fish.

Surprisingly dolphins actually shed their skins, just like a snake. Wow. But it also helps to get rid of algae and bacteria that can cling to their skins.

Wow, this is cool. A dolphin can whistle to communicate and click for sonar waves both at the same time.

That would be like a human speaking in two different voices, with two different pitches and having two different conversations.

Give it a try, go on!

Dolphins eyes produce tears, but they're not sad don't worry. It actually protects their eyes from foreign objects and infection as well as reducing the friction between their eyes and the sea water.

What exactly is a blowhole? Well it's a nose really that sits on top of the dolphin's head. Can you imagine your nose on the top of your head? It would be really weird.

This 'nose' evolved for the echolocation system they use to communicate. Most whales actually have two blowholes, and the dolphin just has the one.

Most mammals' brains have a very smooth surface except for our brains, which have lots of folds in it. A dolphin's brain has even more folds than ours and they were like this millions of years before we appeared on the scene.

Did you know that there is a dolphin that looks like a unicorn? Well it's called the Narwhal Dolphin and it has a large ivory tusk.

Pink, blue or albino, the Amazon River Dolphin is the most recognizable river dolphin species. It has a ridge along its back rather than a dorsal fin and its fat, heavy body is very flexible.

They have paddle-like flippers which move them in a circular motion. This means they can move easily but are not necessarily fast. How cool.

Males can get as long as 8 feet (about 2.5 meters) which makes them the largest river dolphin. This is weird as in all the other river dolphins the females are larger. Interesting.

There is one species of dolphin that only sleeps for a few seconds at a time. Shame, it must be tired. This is because it has to dodge debris in the water where it lives.

We hope you enjoyed our dolphin facts! Are you ready to share your new knowledge with your friends and classmates?
Now, check out our cool dolphins infographic!
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More Animals

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Fun Dolphin Facts Everybody loves dolphins. What's not to love? Dolphins are playful and cute, but also very intelligent! Read on for our amazing dolphin facts. Bet you don't know all of these! We know plenty about dolphins today, but we still don't know all that much about their past.

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River/fresh water dolphin

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Learn more about the charismatic animals swimming in rivers around the world.

Swimming through rivers in parts of South America and Asia is what one might consider an unexpected figure: the dolphin. It joins the ranks of the shark and the sea turtle as some of the oldest creatures on Earth. And while they're most commonly associated with oceans, dolphins-and porpoises-can actually be found in several major rivers on two continents.

River dolphins act as indicators of river health in the basins where they live. If the dolphin population in a river is thriving, then the overall state of that fresh water system is also likely flourishing. But if that population is on the decline, then it's considered a red flag for the ecosystem as a whole.

WWF is the only organization working to safeguard all river dolphin species across the world. Under our River Dolphins Initiative, WWF collaborates with governments, communities, and other partners in countries with river dolphin populations to change policies and practices, address direct threats to the species such as bycatch and infrastructure, protect habitats, and bolster scientific research.

Here's a look at river dolphins around the world, the challenges they face, and what WWF is doing to keep them around for the long haul.

The Amazon River basin covers about 2.7 million square miles, stretching from the Andes Mountains in Peru to the Atlantic Ocean on the northeastern coast of Brazil. More than 3,000 freshwater fish species live in the river. WWF engages local communities and partner with governments to identify solutions that bridge the needs of economic development and conservation-including providing scientific support to help find dam locations that will do the least harm to the environment.

© Gustavo Carrasco / WWF-Peru

© Elissa Poma / WWF-US

Spotlight: Orinoco River Basin

The Orinoco River flows through Colombia and Venezuela all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean. As one of the longest rivers in South America, it plays a crucial role in supporting rich plant and animal life and growing communities. But as the region develops, the challenges facing the Orinoco basin increase.

WWF, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, and local partners completed a health assessment of the Orinoco River Basin, delivering a report card in 2016. The basin scored a B-, showing a basin in transition, facing real and immediate threats from land use change, loss of forest cover, and ecosystem transformation. WWF is emphasizing the need for integrated land use planning to ensure development occurs sustainably.

© Meridith Kohut/WWF-US

© Meridith Kohut/WWF-US

The vast and essential Mekong River accounts for up to 25% of the global freshwater catch and provides livelihoods for at least 60 million people. But as countries in the Greater Mekong region such as China, Thailand, and Cambodia continue to grow, so too do environmental challenges. Hydropower development, climate change, and habitat loss pose the greatest threats to the river. WWF is conducting an assessment of the health of the river basin to better identify conservation needs.

© Michèle Dépraz / WWF-Canon

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Swimming through fresh waters in parts of South America and Asia is what one might consider an unexpected figure: the dolphin. It joins the ranks of the shark and the sea turtle as some of the oldest creatures on Earth. And while they're most commonly associated with oceans, dolphins-and porpoises-can actually be found in several major rivers on two continents.

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All About Sea Turtles | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

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Take a deep dive and learn all about sea turtles - from what they like to eat to how they care for their young. Click here for a library of sea turtle resources.

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Dangers

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Worldwide, six of the seven sea turtle species are classified as threatened or endangered due to human actions and lifestyles. Bonaire is the home to three of the world's six endangered or critically endangered species of marine turtles: the ha [...]

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Ready to get up-close and personal with one of nature's quirkiest creatures? Then check out our awesome octopus facts!

Fast octopus facts

Scientific name: Octopoda
Family name: Octopodidae
Classification: Invertebrate
IUCN status: Not evaluated
Lifespan (in wild): 1-2 years
Weight: 3-10kg
Body length: Generally 30-90cm (some species can grow to 5.4m!)
Top speed: 40km/h
Diet: Carnivore
Habitat: Ocean
Range:

Octopuses are sea animals famous for their rounded bodies, bulging eyes and eight long arms. These cool critters live in all the world's oceans, but they're especially abundant in warm, tropical waters. Like their cousin, the squid, octopuses are often considered ' monsters of the deep ', lurking in the depths of the seas. However, there are some kinds of octopus that live in relatively shallow waters.

Most octopuses stay along the ocean's floor, although some species are ' pelagic,' meaning they live near the water's surface. Other octopus species live in deep, dark waters, and rise from below at dawn and dusk to search for food. They perform their famous backward swim by blasting water through a muscular tube on their body called a siphon. They also crawl along the ocean's floor, tucking their arms into small openings to search for food.

Favourites on the octopus' menu include crabs, shrimps and lobsters, but they will sometimes eat larger prey, too, such as sharks. When going for grub, octopuses typically drop down on their prey from above, and then use the powerful suctions that line their arms to pull their victim into their mouth.

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable octopus primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

Octopuses themselves provide tasty meals for other sea creatures, such as seals, whales and large fish, who like to gobble them up. But these eight-armed animals have a few cheeky tricks to help defend themselves! If threatened, octopuses shoot an inky fluid from their body that darkens the water around them, confusing the aggressor. They can also hide and blend in with their surroundings, too, by changing colour to grey, brown, pink, blue or green. Impressive stuff! As well as for camouflage, these incredible invertebrates use colour change as a way to communicate with other octopuses.

For the most part, octopuses are solitary creatures and live alone in dens made from rocks. And check this out - they build their dens themselves by moving the rocks into place with their powerful arms. Cool, eh? These brilliant builders sometimes even fashion a rock "door" that pulls closed when the octopus is safely inside the den.

Although octopuses are not considered endangered, they do face dangers from human activity. Such threats include habitat destruction, and a reduction in their main foods due to over fishing and marine pollution.

Picture credits - Octopus and its tentacles: Michal Adamczyk, Dreamstime. Octopus shooting inky fluid: Vittorio Bruno, Shutterstock. Octopus blending in with ocean floor: Serban Enache, Dreamstime.

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Octopus facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Ready to get up-close and personal with one of nature's quirkiest creatures? Then check out our awesome octopus facts! Scientific name: Octopoda Family name: Octopodidae Classification: Invertebrate IUCN status: Not evaluated Lifespan (in wild): 1-2 years Weight: 3-10kg Body length: Generally 30-90cm (some species can grow to 5.4m!)

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Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

The octopus is a mollusk and an invertebrate, which means it has no bones in its body. The octopus also belongs to a sub-species of mollusks called the cephalopods. This means "head to foot" and is used as the name because an octopus' "feet" are attached to its head. For more fascinating facts about octopus, see below. Alternatively why not download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

The octopus can only be found in salt water, but they live in all the oceans. The octopuses that live in warm waters tend to be small. The ones that live in colder waters are much larger. The octopus has a life span of 1 to 2 years.

There are about 300 known species of octopus.

The body of an octopus looks like a bag. It also has a bulbous head, large eyes, and eight arms. The arms of the octopus have suckers. The arms also have many nerves which allow the octopus to grab and taste things.

The octopus has excellent eyesight but poor hearing (between 400Hz and 1000Hz). The octopus has three hearts. The blood of an octopus is light blue.

The octopus is considered the most intelligent of all the invertebrates. The octopus has a beak around the mouth.

The octopus can grow to about 4.3 feet (1.3 meters) in length and weigh up to 22 pounds (10 kilograms), although the average octopus is much smaller.

The Giant Pacific Octopus lives in the coastal waters off of British Columbia and is the largest octopus in the world. The largest one caught weighed 600 pounds and its tentacles spanned 33 feet.

When a female octopus lays eggs, it takes about a month for the eggs to mature and hatch. The female guards her future offspring the entire time. Because she is not hunting during this time, it's common for the female to become extremely weak and die of starvation around the time that her young are hatching.

Because of the limited time spent with their parents, young octopus learns almost nothing from their parents.

The body of the octopus moves as the octopus breathes. The octopus moves by forcing water out of its body through a tube. The force of the water will send the octopus backwards very quickly. If they are threatened by a predator, they will force water out of this tube with a great deal of force, almost as if they have jet propulsion.

The octopus can also protect itself by squirting an inky substance at a predator, temporarily blinding it. The ink also dulls the predator's sense of smell, which makes it harder to find the fleeing octopus. The octopus can also blend into its surroundings, which allows it to hide from predators.

The body of the octopus can also squeeze through very small cracks, which helps them to escape a situation that is threatening. If the octopus is caught, it can give up an arm to the predator and grow it back.

The octopus also has beaklike jaws that can deliver a nasty bite. The saliva of the octopus contains venom, which makes it poisonous.

Some octopi will collect crustacean shells and other objects to construct fortresses, or "gardens," around their lairs.

The octopus preys on crabs, crayfish, and mollusks, and will sometimes use their ink to disorient their victims before attacking. They hunt mostly at night.

Octopi have great problem-solving skills and can often figure out how to escape even the most secure fish tanks. They have even been known to climb on board of fishing vessels and open holds to feed on crabs.

The blue-ringed octopus is one of the most popular species in home aquariums because of their beauty and small size. They are also one of the most poisonous animals on earth!

Though the blue-ringed octopus is merely the size of a golf ball, its venom can kill a human being.

Octopus Worksheets

This bundle contains 8 ready-to-use Octopus Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about the octopus which is a mollusk and an invertebrate, which means it has no bones in its body. The octopus also belongs to a sub-species of mollusks called the cephalopods.

Download includes the following worksheets:

Octopus Facts

The Kraken

Krakens Around the World

Three Hearts and Blue Blood

An Octopus' Life

Anatomy of an Octopus

Species Word Find

Word Building

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Octopus Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 5, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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Octopus Facts, Worksheets & Habitat Information For Kids

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The octopus is a mollusk and an invertebrate, which means it has no bones in its body. For more fascinating facts about octopus, click to see the comprehensive fact file. Alternatively, why not download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

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Octopuses

Order: Octopoda

Status: Not Listed

Classification: Invertebrate

Description

The octopus is a marine mollusk and a member of the class Cephalopoda, more commonly called cephalopods. Cephalopoda means "head foot" in Greek, and in this class of organisms, the head and feet are merged. A ring of eight equally-long arms surround the head. They use their arms to "walk" on seafloor. The undersides of the arms are covered with suction cups that are very sensitive to touch and taste. The sack-like body is perched atop the head, which has two complex and sensitive eyes, while the mouth is on the underside. Octopuses have a hard beak, which they use to pierce the shells of crustacean prey.

Octopuses have three functioning hearts. Two of the hearts work exclusively to move blood to the gills, while the third pumps blood through the rest of the body. Rather than iron-based blood, their blood is copper-based, which is more efficient at transporting oxygen at low temperatures and makes their blood blue in color.

Octopuses are solitary creatures excellent at camouflaging and concealing themselves. They are about 90 percent muscle, and because they lack bones, they can fit through very small spaces. Their skin contains cells called chromatophores that allow the octopus to change color and pattern. They are believed to be quite intelligent-capable of learning, using tools, and remembering locations.

There is tremendous range in the size of octopus species found in U.S. waters. The giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), found off the Pacific coast of the United States from California to Alaska, is the largest octopus species in the world. It has an arm span that can reach 14 feet (four meters). The common octopus ( Octopus vulgaris), found along the east coast of the U.S., is much smaller, growing up to about three feet (0.9 meters). The red octopus (Octopus rubescens), found along the Pacific coast, grows to about 20 inches (51 centimeters).

Range

Octopuses are found in every ocean of the world and along every coast of the United States. Octopuses live in coastal marine waters and spend much of their time in dens-small holes and crevices in rocks and coral. They are generally solitary and territorial. Moray eels, fish, seals, sperm whales, sea otters, and many birds prey on octopuses. Octopuses use several different strategies to evade predators-they camouflage themselves by quickly changing their skin color, they make colorful displays or eject ink to startle or confuse potential predators, they squeeze into small crevices to escape, and they quickly propel themselves through water.

Diet

Newly hatched octopuses will eat small foods such as copepods, larval crabs, and sea stars. Adult octopuses feed on crabs, clams, snails, small fishes, and even other octopuses. All species of octopus have venom of varying levels of toxicity, which they inject using a beak that is similar to a bird's. They typically hunt at night, pouncing on their prey and wrapping it in the webbing between their arms. They penetrate hard-shelled prey with their beaks.

Life History

The male initiates mating by approaching the female. He has a specialized tip at the end of one arm that transfers sperm to the female's oviduct. The female looks for a suitable den site and lays the eggs, attached in chains, to the rock or coral or the den. The eggs can number in the hundreds of thousands for some species. The female guards and cares for the eggs, aerating and cleaning them until they hatch. As soon as they hatch, the young are able to swim, eat, and produce ink. The male parent dies soon after mating and the female survives only until her brood has hatched. An octopus will generally live for about one to three years, depending on the species.

Conservation

Octopuses are spread throughout a large ocean area and are solitary, which makes it difficult to determine the status of their populations. They are not believed to be under threat, but they are sensitive to pollutants. Scientists are still discovering new species of octopuses.

Fun Fact

Octopuses move using jet propulsion-they suck water into their mantle cavity, then quickly contract their muscles to force the water out through a narrow siphon, aiming the water to steer in a particular direction.

Sources

Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology

Maui Ocean Center

Monterey Bay Aquarium

National Aquarium

Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Smithsonian Magazine

What Behavior Can We Expect of Octopuses?, by J.A. Mather and R.C. Anderson, The Cephalopod Page

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Learn facts about the octopus's habitat, diet, life history, and more.

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When an elephant drinks, it sucks as much as 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water into its trunk at a time. Then it curls its trunk under, sticks the tip of its trunk into its mouth, and blows. Out comes the water, right down the elephant's throat.

Since African elephants live where the sun is usually blazing hot, they use their trunks to help them keep cool. First they squirt a trunkful of cool water over their bodies. Then they often follow that with a sprinkling of dust to create a protective layer of dirt on their skin. Elephants pick up and spray dust the same way they do water-with their trunks.

Elephants also use their trunks as snorkels when they wade in deep water. An elephant's trunk is controlled by many muscles. Two fingerlike parts on the tip of the trunk allow the elephant to perform delicate maneuvers such as picking a berry from the ground or plucking a single leaf off a tree. Elephants can also use its trunk to grasp an entire tree branch and pull it down to its mouth and to yank up clumps of grasses and shove the greenery into their mouths.

When an elephant gets a whiff of something interesting, it sniffs the air with its trunk raised up like a submarine periscope. If threatened, an elephant will also use its trunk to make loud trumpeting noises as a warning.

Elephants are social creatures. They sometimes hug by wrapping their trunks together in displays of greeting and affection. Elephants also use their trunks to help lift or nudge an elephant calf over an obstacle, to rescue a fellow elephant stuck in mud, or to gently raise a newborn elephant to its feet. And just as a human baby sucks its thumb, an elephant calf often sucks its trunk for comfort. One elephant can eat 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of food in one day.

People hunt elephants mainly for their ivory tusks. Adult females and young travel in herds, while adult males generally travel alone or in groups of their own.

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When an elephant drinks, it sucks as much as 2 gallons (7.5 liters) of water into its trunk at a time. Then it curls its trunk under, sticks the tip of its trunk into its mouth, and blows. Out comes the water, right down the elephant's throat.

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Fun Elephant Facts For Kids [year] [Size, Tusk, Diet, etc]

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Fun Elephant Facts For Kids Elephants are large, majestic animals that have been admired and studied for hundreds of years. They are the largest mammals that live on land and are known for their gentle

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African Vs Asian Elephants: The 10 Physical Differences✔️

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Unless you know what you're looking for, it can be easy to mistake an African for an Asian elephant. These 10 African vs Asian elephant differences will help

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Asian elephants are the continent's largest terrestrial mammals. They can reach 6.4m in length and 3m at the shoulder, and weigh as much as 5 tonnes.

They are smaller than African elephants and have proportionally smaller ears, which they keep in constant motion in order to cool themselves. They also have a single 'finger' on the upper lip of their trunks as opposed to African elephants, which have a second one on the lower tip.

Their skin ranges from dark grey to brown, with patches of pink on the forehead, the ears, the base of the trunk and the chest.

A significant number of male Asian elephants are tuskless. The percentage of males with ivory varies from just 5% in Sri Lanka to aound 90% in southern India - possibly reflecting the intensity of past ivory hunting.

Subspecies

There are three subspecies of Asian elephant - the Indian, Sumatran and Sri Lankan. The Indian has the widest range and accounts for the majority of the remaining elephants on the continent. The Sri Lankan is physically the largest of the subspecies, and also the darkest in colour. The Sumatran is the smallest.

However, some studies suggest that Borneo pygmy elephants could be a separate subspecies. If so, they would be the smallest. They are also more rotund and have babyish faces, larger ears, and longer tails that almost reach the ground. They are appear to be less aggressive than other Asian elephants.

Social Structure

Female elephants are more social than males. They form herds of related females that are led by the oldest female, the 'matriarch'. Males usually live alone but sometimes form small groups with other males.

Life Cycle

When habitat conditions are favourable, female elephants may give birth to a calf every 2.5-4 years. Each calf weighs between 50-150kg.

After several months, the calf begins to eat grass and foliage. However, it stays under the supervision of its mother for several years, starting to make its first independent moves when it is around 4 years old.

Both males and females may become sexually mature as early as 9, but males do not usually start sexual activity until they are 14 or 15. And even then they are not capable of the social dominance that is usually necessary for successful reproductive activity, especially as most elephants only reach their full size at about 17 years of age.

Diet

Elephants need to eat an average of 150 kg per day to survive. They can spend more than two thirds of each day feeding on grasses. But they also devour large amounts of bark, roots, leaves and stems. Cultivated crops such as bananas, rice and sugarcane are also favoured foods - sometimes bringing them into conflict with humans.

They need to drink at least once a day so they are always close to a source of fresh water.

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Asian elephants are the continent's largest terrestrial mammals. They can reach 6.4m in length and 3m at the shoulder, and weigh as much as 5 tonnes. They are smaller than African elephants and have proportionally smaller ears, which they keep in constant motion in order to cool themselves.

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Octopus vs. Squid

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You wouldn't be alone if you thought the octopus and squid were the same animals. They are cousins-both part of the group cephalopoda -a group of marine mollusks that include squid, octopus, nautilus, and snails. The largest cephalopod is the giant squid and the smallest being the pygmy squid. These animals are all characterized by symmetrical bodies, no vertebrae, prominent heads, and arms or tentacles that extend from their bodies. Unlike nautilus and snails, the octopus and squid evolved to have bodies that don't require use of a hard shell for protection, which is due to other adaptations that they developed like the ability to camouflage, heightened intelligence, and strong, flexible arms.

There are nearly 300 species of squids and 300 species of octopus in the global ocean. So, what are the differences between the two?

Where they live: Squids generally live in the open ocean while octopuses call the seafloor home, usually in dark crevices; both live in saltwater from the tropics to more temperate zones.

What they eat: Octopuses usually eat crustaceans from the ocean floor while squids usually feed on shrimp and small fish in the water column.

How they eat: Octopuses grab their prey with their arms, pierce through their shells or skin to inject paralyzing venom, and crushes the body in their mouth. Squids use their two long tentacles to catch prey and eat it in chunks.

How they look: Octopuses have a mantle, rounded head, rectangular pupils on their two eyes, eight arms, and come in a wide variety of colors while squids have two fins at the top of their mantle, a triangular head, circular pupils on their eyes, a rigid backbone-like structure called a pen, and a combination of arms and tentacles, which have hooks and suckers.

Their appendages: Octopuses have eight arms covered in suckers while squids have eight arms two longer tentacles used to catch fish and shrimp in open-ocean waters. Octopus arms are more flexible than those of a squid, allowing them to walk, handle objects, and manipulate their environment.

Defenses: Some species of squids can expel clouds of ink into the water for a quick escape when they feel threatened while an octopus can change colors to hide or squeeze their bodies into the tiniest of crevices or objects like shells.

Reproduction: Male octopuses use a specialized arm (the hectocotylus) to transfer sperm to a female, who then lays groups of eggs in strings that might resemble decorative strings of holiday lights in her den. Females will guard the eggs until they hatch, which can be anywhere from 30 days to one year later depending on the species. Squids on the other hand mate in large groups, attaching their eggs to fixed structures like rocks or coral. Squid parents don't invest in their young, they just let them hatch and try to make it in the world.

Lifespan: Octopuses are generally shorter lived with a lifespan of one to three years, while squids can live nine months to five years. Male octopuses and squids usually die shortly after mating.

Social structures: Octopuses are solitary animals (except for mating periods) while squids can live independently or in schools.

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What's the Difference? Octopus vs. Squid - National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

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You wouldn't be alone if you thought the octopus and squid were the same animals. They are cousins-both part of the group cephalopoda-a group of marine mollusks that include squid, octopus, nautilus, and snails. The largest cephalopod is the giant squid and the smallest being the pygmy squid.

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Polar bears live along shores and on sea ice in the icy cold Arctic. When sea ice forms over the ocean in cold weather, many polar bears, except pregnant females, head out onto the ice to hunt seals.

Polar bears primarily eat seals. Polar bears often rest silently at a seal's breathing hole in the ice, waiting for a seal in the water to surface. A polar bear may also hunt by swimming beneath the ice. But climate change is making it harder for polar bears to hunt. Ice melts earlier and re-forms later than it has in the past. Without the sea ice, the polar bear must scavenge for other, less nutritious food.

Polar bears roam the Arctic ice sheets and swim in that region's coastal waters. They are very strong swimmers, and their large front paws, which they use to paddle, are slightly webbed. Some polar bears have been seen swimming hundreds of miles from land-though they probably cover most of that distance by floating on sheets of ice.

In fall pregnant polar bears make dens in earth and snowbanks, where they'll stay through the winter and give birth to one to three cubs. In spring the mother emerges from her den followed by her cubs. During that time she will protect them and teach them how to hunt. The U.S., Canada, Denmark, Norway, and Russia signed an agreement in 1973 to protect polar bears.

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Polar bears live along shores and on sea ice in the icy cold Arctic. When sea ice forms over the ocean in cold weather, many polar bears, except pregnant females, head out onto the ice to hunt seals. Polar bears primarily eat seals.

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Thought to be some of the smartest animals on Earth, bottlenose dolphins send messages to one another in many different ways. They squeak, squawk and use body language—leaping as high as 20 feet in the air, snapping their jaws, slapping their tails on the surface of the water, blowing bubbles and ev…

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A female tiger gives birth to a litter of three or four cubs, who she will care for until they are a year-and-a-half old. These cubs quadruple in size during their first month!

The powerful predator generally hunts alone, able to bring down prey such as deer and antelope. Tigers wait until dark to hunt. The tiger sprints to an unsuspecting animal, usually pulling it off its feet with its teeth and claws. If the prey animal is large, the tiger bites its throat to kill it; smaller prey is usually killed when the tiger breaks its neck. Tigers have been known to eat up to 80 pounds of meat in one night, but more often they consume about 12 pounds during a meal. It may take days for a tiger to finish eating its kill. The cat eats until it's full, and then covers the carcass with leaves and dirt. The tiger comes back to feed some more.

Tigers live far apart from each other. A tiger knows if it is in another tiger's territory based on the trees around him. Each tiger marks the trees in its area with urine and special scratches.

Unlike most members of the cat family, tigers seem to enjoy water and swim well.

Some tigers live where it gets very cold-in India and parts of southeast Asia. The whole species is endangered throughout its range.

Tigers have been overhunted for their fur as well as for other body parts that many people use in traditional medicines. Tigers' habitat has also dwindled seriously as humans have developed land for uses such as farming and logging. However, in the Siberian region of Russia, there's hope that these big cats are making a comeback.

Because of their size, strength, and predatory skills, tigers are considered one of the "big cats." Lions, cheetahs, jaguars, and cougars are also part of this grouping.

Tiger stripes are special to each individual, and their tails help them to keep their balance. The big cats share all but 4.4% of their DNA with domestic cats.

Take the big cat quiz to see how much you know about these fierce felines. Then, just for fun, see which wild cat you're most like with our personality quiz.

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Easily recognized by its coat of reddish-orange with dark stripes, the tiger is the largest wild cat in the world. The big cat's tail is three feet long. On average the big cat weighs 450 pounds, about the same as eight ten-year-old kids.

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Scientific Name:

Canis lupus

Average Life Span In The Wild:

6 to 8 years

Size:

Head and body: 36 to 63 inches; tail: 13 to 20 inches

Size relative to a 6-ft human:

What are gray wolves?

Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. A lone wolf howls to attract the attention of his pack, while communal howls may send territorial messages from one pack to another. Some howls are confrontational. Much like barking domestic dogs, wolves may simply begin howling because a nearby wolf has already begun.

Population and conservation

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.

In the lower 48 states, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, though some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, though many live in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.

Wolf pack behavior

Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. They are known to roam large distances, perhaps 12 miles in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey-large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 20 pounds of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit.

Wolfpacks are established according to a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male at the top and his mate not far behind. Usually this male and female are the only animals of the pack to breed. All of a pack's adults help to care for young pups by bringing them food and watching them while others hunt.

Did You Know?

- It's believed that wolves were first tamed in East Asia about 15,000 years ago.

- In Canada, beachcombing wolves swim between islands, eating crabs, clams, and other tidbits.

- Gray wolves are the planet's most widespread large land mammals after humans and livestock.

- A wolf pack is two or more wolves that have a defined territory.

- Wolves can go for more than a week without eating.

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Learn why wolves let out their spine-tingling howls. Find out how they team up to hunt down larger prey like deer, elk, and moose.

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Click here for more animal facts Click here for Red Panda facts Scientific name for a Panda is Ailuropoda Melanoleuca. Pandas are mammals. Pandas are in the bear family. Unlike other bears Pandas d...

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It is arguably one of modern pet marketing's most reliable angle: put a picture of a wolf on about anything designed for the canine species and it is a hit. But how much does your Pomeranian really have in common with Canis lupus? Join Schertz Animal Hospital as we explore the differences and similarities between dogs and wolves.

Similarities Between Dogs and Wolves

Dogs and wolves have many outward similarities. After all, the two species descend from a common ancestor. In fact the two species share 98.8% of the same DNA. They can even interbreed (although their offspring are typically not fertile).

Dogs of similar size to a wolf share a similar life expectancy (12-14 years in captivity). They both display similar body language at times and share an impeccable sense of smell. Both species also thrive within a pack environment and exhibit a prey drive.

When you start to really dig, though, there are no bones about it: dogs and wolves may be more different than they are the same.

But There are Some Big Differences

Despite how similar dogs and wolves may appear at first glance, though, there are many major differences between the two species. Even though they share ancestry, dogs have spent hundreds of years evolving with humans, unlike their wolf brethren. Some of the major differences between the two animals include:

Dogs are domesticated, meaning they live and depend on humans

Dogs maintain many puppy-like traits throughout life that humans have selected for inadvertently and intentionally such as floppy ears, shorter noses, and goofy dispositions

Dogs are less fearful and more playful than their wolf cousins

Wolves have yellow eyes, whereas dogs more commonly have brown or blue eyes

Wolves are built to run with narrow chests and long legs, whereas the domestic dog tends to be wider and stockier

Dogs tend to be less mentally mature than a wolf of similar age

A wolf howls whereas dogs tend to bark or "yip"

Wolves tend to be shy as opposed to their boisterous counterparts

Female wolves have one cycle per year whereas intact female dogs have two

Dogs observe and respond to human facial expressions and body language

Wolves form stronger family units within their pack, while dogs tend to form a stronger relationship with people

Dogs reach maturity at 6-8 months of age whereas wolves do not mature until 2-3 years old

Dogs have a higher ability to digest a wide variety of food, including grains

The more you explore the differences between the two species, the more it becomes apparent that they are really not the same thing at all. We have bred our household dogs to suit our needs and lifestyles, and it is important to remember that they need us as well. Wolves may not "need" dental care, parasite prevention, or vaccines, but your dog is not a wolf. We are happy to help you with your canine companion. We couldn't imagine life without our furry, albeit domesticated, friends.

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Dogs and Wolves: More Different Than They are Alike?

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It is arguably one of modern pet marketing's most reliable angle: put a picture of a wolf on about anything designed for the canine species and it is a hit. But how much does your Pomeranian really have in common with Canis lupus?

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animalsafari - Just another WordPress site

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There is actually only one tiger species, but each type of tiger is considered a subspecies. A subspecies is a group within a species that is either physically or genetically different from the rest. There are nine subspecies or types of tigers, three of which are now extinct. The remaining six subspecies include the Bengal, Indo-Chinese, South China, Amur, and Sumatran tigers.

Tigers are one of the most awe-inspiring, courageous wild animals living today. The world's largest cat species can be found in far east Russia, parts of North Korea, China, India, Southwest Asia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. However, the human population has grown and encroached on tiger habitats, causing their territory to decrease. Pressure from habitat loss, illegal killing and shrinking food supply have pushed all species of tigers on to the endangered list.

Although no tigers are native to the United States, a few of these subspecies of tigers call Wild Animal Safari in Georgia and Missouri their home. Maybe that's what makes it so special to see them up close. (Note: There are no tigers at the Texas safari park.)

While tigers can be identified by their signature stripes and powerful stature, not all of these big cats are the same. In fact, tiger stripe patterns are all as unique as a human fingerprint, no two are the same. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

1. Bengal Tiger

The Bengal tiger ( Panthera tigris tigris), also called the Indian tiger or the Royal Bengal tiger is native to the Indian subcontinent. Although it once roamed a much larger area, the Bengal is currently found in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

The Bengal tiger is on the endangered list. It's the most well-known breed of tiger and the largest tiger found in the wild. A male Bengal weighs between 397 and 569 pounds. The female is smaller, weighing between 220 and 350 pounds.

White Tiger

If you're lucky enough to see a white tiger, it may be an albino or the result of a genetic mutation. If it's white with black stripes and has blue eyes, this coloration is caused by a genetic mutation called leucism and is specific to the Bengal tiger. Both parents must have the gene for a white cub to occur. It's rare, however, only resulting in one out of 10,000 births.

An albino tiger, on the other hand, would be entirely white (no black stripes or very, very faint stripes) and have pink eyes.

Few white tigers survive in the wild because their white fur doesn't provide any camouflage protection for the tiger.

2. Siberian Tiger

The Siberian tiger ( Panthera tigris altaica), also known as the Manchurian tiger, Korean tiger, Amur tiger or Ussurian tiger, is an endangered species that lives in Northern Asia (China, Russia and Korea), although its territory was once much larger. Even though the Bengal tiger is larger in the wild, the Siberian tiger often grows to be larger than the Bengal in captivity, making it the largest purebred cat in the world.

Crossbreeds such as the liger, a mix between a female tiger and a male lion, get much larger than their parents, however. A full-grown male liger can weigh as much as 1600 pounds! That's three times the size of a Bengal or Siberian tiger. When Bengals and Siberians are crossbred, they also become larger than their parents.

Although the heaviest Siberian tiger has a record of weighing 660 pounds, it's typically smaller than the Bengal. Male Siberian tigers generally weigh between 389 and 475 pounds. Females typically weigh between 260 and 303 pounds.

The Siberian has a broad chest and large skull. Its thick fur, which protects it from the harsh winters of Northern Asia, tends to be a less vibrant color of orange than other tiger subspecies.

3. Sumatran Tiger

The Sumatran tiger ( Panthera tigris sumatrae) is the smallest tiger subspecies and lives on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Because it lives only on an island, it has been isolated from other tigers. This has resulted in genetics that are different from its "mainland" cousins. The Sumatran is a critically endangered species. Two other tiger subspecies, the Bali tiger and the Javan tiger, once occupied the same area but are now extinct.

The Sumatran tiger weighs approximately half that of the Bengal or Siberian. A male Sumatran tiger weighs between 220 and 310 pounds, whereas a female weighs between 165 and 243 pounds. Since the Sumatran is only slightly shorter than the Bengal or Siberian and weighs significantly less, it has a slight build compared to its bulkier cousins.

The stripes of the Sumatran are very dark and well-defined. They cover the tiger's entire body, including its forelegs. Not all tigers have stripes on their front legs.

4. Indochinese Tiger

The Indochinese tiger ( Panthera tigris corbetti), also known as Corbett's tiger, is named in honor of the famous British hunter Jim Corbett who was often enlisted to hunt down man-eating tigers and leopards early in the 20th century.

The near critically endangered Indochinese tiger is native to Southeast Asia (China, Thailand, Laos, Burma and Vietnam). The illegal trade of tiger parts which are in high demand is the main reason for a quickly dwindling Indochinese tiger population. There are only around 300-400 Indochinese tigers left in the world today. Tiger parts are used in rituals, for meat (internal organs), and to make jewelry, medicines, clothes and wines. Very little of the tiger remains unused.

The Indochinese tiger has narrow, single stripes. The male Indochinese generally weighs between 331 and 430 pounds, whereas the female weighs between 220 and 290 pounds.

5. Malayan Tiger

The Malayan tiger ( Panthera tigris jacksoni and occasionally Panthera tigris malayensis) is also known as the Southern Indochinese tiger. Its native range is Southeastern Asia (Burma, Thailand and Malaysia).

The Malayan Tiger is very similar in appearance to the Indochinese tiger except that it's slightly smaller. It wasn't even considered a unique breed separate from the Indochinese tiger until the early 2000s. This is why it has two scientific names. The scientific name jacksoni was chosen to honor Peter Jackson, a British journalist, author and photographer who was interested in tiger conservation. Used less popularly was the scientific name malayensis, to signify the geographic location of Malaysia.

The male Malayan tiger weighs between 220 and 308 pounds and the female between 165 and 245 pounds.

Malayan tiger numbers are shockingly low. There are less than 200 breeding adults in the world, and their numbers are still declining! The Malayan tiger has become critically endangered due to habitat loss and poaching. Like the Indochinese tiger, Malayan tiger parts are used in a variety of ways from cultural rituals to traditional medicines.

6. South China Tiger

The South China tiger ( Panthera tigris amoyensis) is also known as the Chinese tiger, the Xiamen tiger and the Amoy tiger. It's native to eastern and central China (the Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fukien and Hunan provinces); however, one has not been spotted in the wild for decades.

Although not as small as the Sumatran, the Indochinese and the Malayan tigers, the South China tiger is one of the smaller tiger subspecies. A male South China tiger weighs between 287 and 386 pounds. The female weighs between 220 and 254 pounds.

The South China tiger is critically endangered and facing possible extinction. Only 30 to 40 are known to exist in the world, and all are living in captivity.

In the 1970s, there were more than 4000 South China tigers living in the wild. Now, none exist. What happened?

When the Chinese government was clearing land for development, they had all tigers killed that were displaced. Habitat destruction and eradication measures led to the decimation of the South China tigers in the wild.

Regretting their actions, the Chinese government now works to protect the South China tiger. Currently, zoos in China and South Africa have breeding programs working hard to increase their numbers.

Blue Tiger

There have been sightings of tigers in the mountains of the Fujian province of China that are said to have slate grey or black stripes on a pale grayish-blue body. Just as the Bengal has a genetic mutation that creates white tigers, the South China tiger genetics may create a tiger that has blue fur but the existence of these tigers has not been scientifically proven. Some believe they are just legends! If the blue tiger exists, it's sometimes referred to as the Maltese tiger.

3 Extinct Species of Tigers

Unfortunately, you won't have the opportunity to see three extinct tiger species. These include the Caspian tiger ( Panthera tigris virgata), the Bali tiger ( Pantera tigris balica) and the Javan tiger ( Panthera tigris sondaica). These subspecies of tigers have not been spotted in decades and none are known to be in captivity.

Habitat loss and illegal poaching led to the extinction of these three tiger subspecies and continue to plague all tiger species that remain. If these threats aren't stopped, the remaining tiger subspecies may also become extinct.

1. Caspian Tiger

The Caspian tiger was a large, powerful tiger that lived around the Caspian Sea. Its colors were muted. So much so, in fact, the Caspian tiger was sometimes referred to as the "gray tiger". However, surviving pelts have rusty orange fur with quite a bit of brown. Perhaps the gray was a mutation such as that which created the white tiger or the blue tiger.

2. Bali Tiger

The Bali tiger, another native of the Indonesian islands, was once the world's smallest tiger. The male weighed between 200 and 220 pounds and the female, between143 and 176 pounds. It hasn't been seen since the 1930s. The only remains of the Bali tiger are bones and skulls which have been preserved in museums.

3. Javan Tiger

The Javan tiger was the last of the three tigers that lived in Indonesia, along with the Bali tiger and the Sumatran tiger. The Javan tiger was slightly larger than the Bali. Although it has been listed as extinct since the 1970s, there are still periodic tiger sightings in the area which could be Javan.

Visit Wild Animal Safari GA + MO to See Tigers

Unfortunately, all types of tigers are either endangered at some level or extinct. Places like Wild Animal Safari™ that offer protection are so important if we want to preserve the tiger population.

In fact, approximately 7,000 to 10,000 captive tigers can be found in the United States. That's double the total amount of the less than 4,000 wild tigers found across the globe. It's a whole lot less than the more than 100,000 that lived in the wild just one hundred years ago. Some of these captive tigers are found in zoos, circuses and safari parks. Most, however, are privately owned. Yes, it's legal to own a pet tiger in some states!

Are you ready to get a closer look at the tigers? Come check them out for yourself at one of our Wild Animal Safari locations in Pine Mountain, Georgia and Strafford, Missouri.

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9 Types of Tigers: 6 Endangered, 3 Extinct

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There is actually only one tiger species, but each type of tiger is considered a subspecies. A subspecies is a group within a species that is either physically or genetically different from the rest. There are nine subspecies or types of tigers, three of which are now extinct.

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Top 10 Mountain Gorilla Facts | Animal Fun Facts | WWF

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Facts about koalas videos - Google Search

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All About Koalas for Kids: Koalas for Children - FreeSchool

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Gorillas are the largest living primates and dwell on the ground, mostly eating vegetation, and are divided into four subspecies that each has unique characterisitcs.

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Gorillas are one of the five great apes. The other four include humans, Orangutans, chimpanzees and bonobos. Gorillas are the largest of all the great apes and have a similar DNA to that of humans (95%). They not only exhibit compassion, happiness, sadness but can use complex tools like humans. The great forests of East and Central Africa are the only natural habitat of gorillas in the world. These forests have different ecosystems with some comprising of montane forest, bamboo, rain-forests, wetlands, marshes and mountains.

At one time, only one species of gorilla lived in one intact and vast tropical rain-forest. Overtime, it the forests became segmented due to natural factors but also population explosion in Africa. This single specie of gorilla got dispersed and had to adapt to different environments and patches of forest. They adapted different traits/behavior and physical structure. Despite their differences, it is very difficult to distinguish one subspecies of gorilla from another without experience observing them closely.

General Information about all Species of Gorillas

Gorillas are very large primates with adult males (Silverbacks) weighing over 150 kilograms and females about 120 kilograms. Their upper limbs are bigger and longer than the lower ones. Gorillas move on all two pairs of limbs but stand on two legs when picking food from high points. Gorillas have broad chests, black/brownish eyes and large nostrils. Almost the entire body is covered by fur except for their faces, chest and ends of their digits. The hair on the back of the male turns grey as they mature and this why they are known as Silverbacks.

The average lifespan of a gorilla in the wild is 35 years and in captivity 45 years. Gorillas are very social animals with families/groups consisting of between 10 to 30 individuals. The family comprises of a dominant silverback, other silverbacks, two or three females, juveniles and infants. The dominant Silverback is the head of the family and determines everything that happens in the group. The stability of a gorilla family largely depends on the bond between the dominant male and adult females. Silverback gorillas are generally polygamous but all mating is initiated by the females as soon as they get fertile.

In-breeding is rare within a gorilla family. Young female gorillas normally join another families or look for a lone male gorilla once they reach sexual maturity. Adult males also tend to leave the group after being chased away by the alpha male silverback but this is not always the case. They will live alone in an area close to their original family or with other young silverbacks. While alone, the young silverback will try to steal females from another group. Female gorillas become sexually active at the age of 10 while males do the same at 15 years.

Gorillas are herbivorous animals that feed on tree shoots, leaves, vines and branches. They will occasionally eat small invertebrates for proteins. Gorillas spend most of their time on the ground feeding and preparing nests on the ground. Adult gorillas are good climbers but generally avoid trees because of their weight. It is the younger ones that love spending more time climbing trees. Gorillas are nomadic in nature. They keep moving from one place to another looking for fresh food or avoiding other families.

Note: Whereas gorillas are often mistaken for being beasts, they are arguably the most peaceful of primates. They are shy creatures and only get violent (charge) if they feel threatened in one way or another.

Gorilla Species

There are two species of gorillas found in the wild forests of Africa. They include the Eastern gorilla and Western gorilla. Gorillas are classified by their location. Western gorillas are generally found in the western arm of Africa's tropical rain-forest while Eastern gorillas live in the eastern side. As earlier highlighted, gorilla species have minor physical differences. However, Eastern gorillas are slightly bigger than Western gorillas. Eastern Gorillas also have thicker fur covering their bodies. That said, there is a larger population of Western gorillas in the wilds of Africa compared to Eastern Gorillas. Western Gorillas are also the ones you see in zoos and sanctuaries outside Africa.

Gorilla Subspecies

There are two Gorilla Spies as highlighted earlier but each Specie is divided into two subspecies. Western gorillas are divided into the Western Lowland gorillas and Cross River gorillas. The Eastern Gorilla is divided into what is known as Eastern lowland gorillas (Grauer's gorillas) and Mountain gorillas. We can now discuss the various gorilla sub-species in more detail:

The Grauer's Gorilla or Eastern Lowland gorilla (G. beringei graueri): Eastern lowland gorillas or Grauer's gorillas are a subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. They are found in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. They can be sighted in Kahuzi Biega national park, Maiko National park, Itombwe Massif and Odzala-Kokoua national park. The Eastern Lowland Gorilla is the largest living primate or ape in the world. Although they are more numerous when compared to Mountain Gorillas, their numbers have declined more in recent years. There were over 20,000 individuals a century ago but now only about 7,500 individual remain. The best place to see these massive giants is in Kahuzi Biega and Maiko National Parks of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mountain Gorillas (G. beringei beringei): Mountain gorillas may be the most widely known gorilla subspecies in the conservation world. They belong to the Eastern Gorilla specie and are found in the Virunga Ranges and Bwindi forest. The mountain gorillas generally live in areas of high altitude (between 8,000 and 12,000 feet). When compared to other gorilla sub-species, mountain gorillas have thicker fur to keep themselves warm since they live in colder areas.

The overall population of mountain gorillas is on the rise with over 1,000 individuals recorded in the wild. This rise is attributed to the fact they live in relatively safe and accessible national parks. More tourists visit mountain gorillas than any of the other gorilla subspecies hence attracting more conservation efforts/funds. Despite more exposure to tourism and conservation funding, they are still the second most critically endangered among the four sub-species. The best places to see Mountain gorillas is in the national parks of Bwindi and Mgahinga in Uganda. 30 percent live in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and 20 percent in Virunga National Park of Congo.

Western Lowland Gorillas (G. gorilla gorilla): There are over 350,000 Western lowland gorillas left in the wild. They can be seen in the lowland tropical rain-forests of central and west Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola and the Central African Republic). The Western Lowland gorilla belongs to the Western Gorilla specie. They are the smallest of all the subspecies of gorillas and have less fur on their bodies. Their fur is grey/reddish in color.

Western Lowland Gorillas are the ones you see in the different zoos and sanctuaries outside Africa. They can also be seen in the wild if you visit some national parks in west and central Africa. Though Western lowland gorillas are the most numerous, they are also endangered like any other gorilla subspecies. Their overall numbers have reduced more than any of the other subspecies. Over 60% of the overall population of Western Lowland Gorillas have been lost in the last three decades due to loss of habitat, poaching and outbreak of epidemic diseases like Ebola.

Cross River Gorillas (G. gorilla diehli): The Cross River Gorilla is a subspecies of the Western gorilla. They are larger than their closest cousins the western lowland gorilla. Their classification came more recently (2000) because it was always thought that the Western gorilla was one specie. Cross-river gorillas are scattered in small groups across lowland montane forests of Cameroon and Nigeria, an area covering 3,000 square miles. They are the most critically endangered subspecies of gorillas and have an overall population of about 300 individuals in the wild. This low number is because they live close to human settlements. They have been decimated by loss of habitat, poaching and human diseases.

Cross River gorillas are more aggressive because of their frequent contact with humans. They face a lot of persecution and running battles with humans for space. This has forced the Authorities in Cameroon and Nigeria to gazette some areas as Cross River gorilla habitat. The two Governments work closely with international wildlife conservation Agencies to save the Cross River gorilla from extinction.

Note: Cross River Gorillas are not found in zoos and tracking is also not possible. The only way to see them is by visiting sanctuaries in Nigeria and Cameroon.

Additional Information - Endangered Status, Conservation and Gorilla Tourism

Gorillas are considered to be endangered and have been included in the red list of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their overall population has declined drastically in the past two centuries due to loss of habitats, poaching and diseases. The loss of habitat has been caused by human encroachment on tropical rainforest, logging and other activities. Poaching, the lucrative pet/bush meat trade, especially in west Africa and Central Africa has also contributed greatly to the decline of gorilla populations. Apart from directing poaching, gorillas have also been accidentally killed by snares meant for other forest mammals. The outbreak of Ebola in West and Central Africa led to many gorilla deaths.

Although gorillas are an endangered species, we are glad to report that their overall population is now on the rise. The rise is attributed to the great efforts by the wildlife conservation organizations and the various governments where the gorillas live. Different strategies have been used to save gorillas from getting extinct. A strategy used by International Wildlife Conservation Agencies is to directly fund projects designed to protect gorillas. They have also initiated projects aimed at protecting the primates and the Eco-system in which they live. An example of such a project is that of treating sick gorillas in the wild by the Gorilla Doctors and Dian Fossey Fund International.

It is important to point out that Gorilla tourism has also contributed a lot to the rise in gorilla populations. Gorilla Trekking is expensive but it has attracted influential Tourists who have raised global awareness about the plight of gorillas and the need to protect them. Ordinary Tourists contribute indirectly to gorilla conservation by paying for the gorilla trekking permits. The revenue collected from permits is used to build infrastructure, train Rangers to protect gorillas from poachers and also employ the local people living close to the gorilla parks. It has been found out that when a community realizes the benefits of tourism, they are less likely to harm wild animals.

Note: Despite achieving great success, Wildlife Conservation Agencies still have to deal with the challenge of poaching, civil wars in the gorilla habitats, weak conservation law and corruption.

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The Different Gorilla Species and Subspecies - Types of Gorillas

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The largest gorilla subspecies is the Eastern Lowland Gorilla. In general, there are 2 gorilla species and 4 gorilla subspecies.

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Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle | National Wildlife Federation

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Learn facts about the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle’s habitat, diet, life history, and more.

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All About Manatees for Children: Manatee Video for Kids - FreeSchool

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Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission

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Manatee or Mermaid? | Animal Education Videos for Kids

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Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission