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They're fierce, fast and fur-ocious - join National Geographic Kids as we check out these amazing leopard facts!

Leopard facts

1. Most leopards are light coloured and have dark spots on their fur. These spots are called " rosettes" because their shape is similar to that of a rose. There are also black leopards, too, whose spots are hard to see because their fur is so dark.

2. Leopards can be found in various places around the world - they live in Sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India and China.

3. Leopards are fast felines and can run at up to 58km/h! They're super springy, too, and can leap 6m forward through the air - that's the length of three adults lying head to toe!

4. Leopards are very solitary and spend most of their time alone. They each have their own territory, and leave scratches on trees, urine scent marks and poop to warn other leopards to stay away! Males and females will cross territories, but only to mate.

5. These big cats have a varied diet and enjoy different kinds of grub. They eat bugs, fish, antelope, monkeys, rodents, deer...in fact, pretty much any prey that is available!

6. Leopards are skilled climbers, and like to rest in the branches of trees during the day. They are strong beasts, too, and can carry their heavy prey up into the trees so that pesky scavengers, such as hyenas, don't steal their meal!

7. Nocturnal animals, leopards are active at night when they venture out in search for food. They mostly spend their days resting, camouflaged in the trees or hiding in caves.

8. When it comes to hunting for food, these big cats know their stuff! When a leopard spots a potential meal, it approaches with legs bent and head low, so as not to be seen. It then stalks its prey carefully and quietly, until it's five to ten metres within range. Then.... pounce! The leopard dashes forward and takes down its victim with a bite to the throat or neck. Small prey, such as small birds or mice, will receive a fatal blow from the feline's paw. Ouch!

9. Female leopards give birth any time of the year - when they do, they usually give birth to two or three cubs. Mothers stay with their cubs until they are about two years old, when they are old enough to hunt and take care of themselves.

10. Leopards communicate with each other through distinctive calls. For instance, when a male wants to make another leopard aware of his presence, he'll make a hoarse, raspy cough. They also growl when angry and, like domestic cats, purr when happy and relaxed. Cute, eh?

Love reading about big cats? Then be sure to check out our other fab feline features...

Images ⓒ Getty Images

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10 leopard facts! - National Geographic Kids

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Join us here at NG Kids to learn ten fascinating facts about leopards. Find out how fast leopards run, what they eat, where they live and more!

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https://www.coolkidfacts.com/leopard-facts/

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Leopard Facts for Kids in [year] (Fun, Wild & Interesting)

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Leopards For Kids Leopards are gorgeous creatures to look at and they're really interesting too. Here are some cool leopard facts to fill your brain with. What do Leopards look like? Most leopards are quite light in colour and have dark spots on their fur. Now this is pretty cool.

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Leopard Facts - Habitat, Africa, Food, Wild, Endangered, Interesting Information

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Some people believe that the bones and whiskers of leopards can heal sick people. Many leopards are killed each year for their fur and body parts and this is one reason why the leopard is an endangered animal.

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https://www.natgeokids.com/au/discover/animals/sea-life/green-sea-turtle-facts/

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Shades, sun cream and snorkels at the ready, gang! Join us as we get the lowdown one of our ocean's incredible reptiles with some great green sea turtle facts ...

Fast green sea turtle facts

Green sea turtles are one of the world's largest species of turtle, weighing around 65-130kg and measuring between 1-1.2m long. They have a strong, tear-drop shape shell, called a 'carapace', which covers most of their body, except for their head and four flippers. Their carapace can include shades of different colours, including dark brown, green, olive, yellow and black.

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

So, why are they called "green" sea turtles, then? Well, these cool creatures are named for their layer of green fat that lies under their shell. Scientists believe this unusual quirky-coloured fat is the result of their veggie diet - unlike most other sea turtles, the green sea turtle eats marine plants such as seaweed and sea grass.

These top turtles can be found nesting along the coastline of more than 80 countries around the world, with the largest nesting populations found in Costa Rica and Australia. But they like to spend most of their lives underwater, where they can rest for up to five hours at a time before coming up to breathe. When feeding or travelling, however, they pop up to the surface every three to five minutes for a few seconds of air, before diving back down.

Similar to other sea turtles, such as the leatherback and loggerhead, green sea turtles migrate long distances between their feeding grounds and their mating-nesting sites, with recorded distances longer than 2,600 kilometres - that's further than London to Athens in Greece! Super-strong swimmers, they propel through the water using their strong paddle-like flippers. And whilst these awesome animals like to cruise along at around 3km, if threatened they can reach speeds of up to 35km/h.

Adult green turtles breed by the beaches where they were born. Females usually travel thousands of miles from their feeding grounds back to their 'natal' or 'hatching' beach every two to four years, where as males may make the journey annually. After mating in the shallow waters offshore, the female crawls onto the sandy beach, digs out a nest with her flippers and lays a clutch of about 115 eggs. She then covers the eggs with sand and returns to the sea.

After about two months, the babies will use a special "egg tooth" to break their shells and hatch from their eggs. But when they do, the race is on, and they must immediately make a treacherous journey across the sand to the water, avoiding predators such as birds, crabs, wild dogs and lizards along the way!

The first few years of a green sea turtle's life are spent floating at sea, where they feed on plankton. As they grow older, the turtles move to shallow waters along the coast, such as bays and lagoons, where they find sea grass to eat.

For decades these, these awesome aquatic animals have suffered due to hunting, over harvesting of their eggs, loss of nesting beaches and pollution. Fishing also poses a danger, too, with thousands of sea turtles accidentally caught in nets and other equipment every year. Today, green sea turtles are classified as an endangered species and we need to do all we can to protect them! To find out how you can help, swim over to wwf.panda.org

Credits - Green sea turtle on the sand on the ocean floor: Dejan Sarman, Dreamstime. Green sea turtle swimming above coral on the ocean floor: Aquanaut4, Dreamstime. Green sea turtle on a beach: Steffen Foerster, Dreamstime. Green sea turtle closeup on the ocean floor: Richard Carey, Dreamstime. Green sea turtle above coral: Simon Gurney, Dreamstime. green sea turtle swimming underwater. Idreamphotos, Dreamstime.

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Green sea turtle facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Green sea turtle facts for kids: learn all about these top turtles, with facts about the green sea turtle's habitat, behaviour, characteristics and diet.

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Find amazing facts about animals, science, history and geography, along with fun competitions, games and more. Visit National Geographic Kids today!

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https://www.ducksters.com/animals/sea_turtles.php

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Learn to identify sea turtles including different species loggerhead and leatherneck. These reptiles are endangered.

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http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/turtle.html

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Tiger Facts for Kids

Enjoy these fun tiger facts for kids. Learn about different types of tigers, how big they are, how fast they run, how they hunt and more.

Check out the wide range of interesting facts about tigers and their cubs.

The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family.

Tigers can reach a length of up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) and weigh as much as 300 kilograms (660 pounds).

Subspecies of the tiger include the Sumatran Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, South China Tiger, Malayan Tiger and Indochinese Tiger.

Many subspecies of the tiger are either endangered or already extinct. Humans are the primary cause of this through hunting and the destruction of habitats.

Around half of tiger cubs don't live beyond two years of age.

Tiger cubs leave their mother when they are around 2 years of age.

A group of tigers is known as an 'ambush' or 'streak'.

Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometres.

Rare white tigers carry a gene that is only present in around 1 in every 10000 tigers.

Tigers usually hunt alone at night time.

Tigers have been known to reach speeds up to 65 kph (40 mph).

Less than 10% of hunts end successfully for tigers

Tigers can easily jump over 5 metres in length.

Various tiger subspecies are the national animals of Bangladesh, India, North Korea, South Korea and Malaysia.

There are more tigers held privately as pets than there are in the wild.

Tigers that breed with lions give birth to hybrids known as tigons and ligers.

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Fun Tiger Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Tigers & Cubs

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Tiger Facts for Kids Enjoy these fun tiger facts for kids. Learn about different types of tigers, how big they are, how fast they run, how they hunt and more.

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Tiger facts

1) Tigers are the largest wild cats in the world.

Adults can weigh up to 363kg (that's about the same as ten ten year olds!) and measure up to 3.3m!

2) Tigers are carnivores, eating only meat.

They mainly feed on large mammals such as deer, wild pigs, antelope and buffalo.

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3) Tigers are solitary hunters, and generally search for food alone at night.

They quietly stalk their prey until they are close enough to pounce - then they kill their victim with a bite to the neck or back of the head. Ouch!

4) Tigers are good swimmers!

Unlike most members of the cat family, they like water and often cool off in pools or streams.

5) A tiger's roar can be heard as far as three kilometres away.

SO when they want to be heard, you'll know about it, gang!

6) At full speed, tigers can reach up to 65km/h.

That's right - they may be big and heavy, but tigers are by no means slow movers!

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

7) These fierce felines have walked the earth for a long time.

Fossil remains of tigers found in parts of China are believed to be 2 million years old. Yikes!

8) No two tigers have the same stripes.

Since every tiger has their own pattern on their fur, they are all unique!

9) Today, there are five subspecies of tiger.

These subspecies are the Bengal tiger, South China tiger, Indochinese tiger, Sumatran tiger and Amur tiger (also known as Siberian tiger). Sadly, three subspecies of tiger have become extinct - the Caspian, Bali and Javan.

10) Less than 100 years ago, tigers could be found throughout Asia.

Sadly, hunting and habitat loss have put populations at risk, and today their range has been reduced to around 7% of its former size. That's why we need to do all we can to protect these beautiful beasts!

Discover more roar-some big cats! Visit our lion facts, leopard facts, cheetah facts, jaguar facts or lynx facts articles to find out about these cool creatures.

Love our tiger facts? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

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Adults can weigh up to 363kg (that's about the same as ten ten year olds!) and measure up to 3.3m! They mainly feed on large mammals such as deer, wild pigs, antelope and buffalo. (AD) They quietly stalk their prey until they are close enough to pounce - then they kill their victim with a bite to the neck or back of the head.

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We love all things animals, and the tiger is certainly high up there on our list!

A beauty of a beast, which has some interesting tales to tell. Here are some awesome facts about tigers. Enjoy and prepare to be amazed.

Did you know that the tiger belonged to the cat family?

Well if you did, it's by far the biggest species out of all cats and a beauty too!

There are lots of different types of tigers including the Sumatran Tiger, Siberian Tiger, Bengal Tiger, South China Tiger, Malayan Tiger and Indochinese Tiger. Wow, there are loads.

The Caspian Tiger, Bali Tiger and Javan Tiger are all extinct which is very sad, and many others are endangered, which means they in big danger of becoming extinct.

The most endangered species is the South China tiger (also known as the Amoy or Xiamen tiger) they are listed in the top 10 of most endangered animals in the world.

Out of the entire population of tigers in the wild, only about 3% are left, which is not cool at all, and 97% were completely wiped out in a period of just 100 years. That is frightening to say the least.

Guess who their biggest enemy is? It's none other than us humans as people hunt them for their fur or other parts of their bodies and ruin the areas that they live in, called habitats.

Unbelievably, there are more tigers kept as pets than there are in the wild. No, they're meant to be in the wild!

Their ancestors are the sabre-tooth cat, and just like them, they rely on those big gnashes of theirs to survive. It they lose those large and powerful teeth, they can't kill anymore and they will likely starve to death.

Can you believe that tigers lived as long ago as 2 million years back? There were fossil remains found in China. Wowzers!

Here are some amazing facts about tigers that will wow you! They are certainly a very interesting animal.

Tigers can reach a length of up to 11 feet (3.3 metres) and weigh as much as 720 pounds (330 kilograms). That's heavier than a piano.

Have you ever tried to lift a piano?

Don't do it alone as you'll probably hurt yourself. That is one heavy cat. Imagine your cat at home being as big as that, there would be no space for them!

Tigers can live up to 10-15 years in the wild and up to 26 years when they're kept in captivity.

Mother tigers give birth after approximately 100 days and they give birth to litters of between two to six cubs and they raise them alone with very little help from the father.

He's probably out hunting!

Cubs only start learning to hunt when they are about 18 months old and leave their mothers when they're about 2 years of age. Off they then go and find a territory just to call their own.

Around half of tiger cubs don't live beyond two years of age. That's so sad.

A group of tigers is known as an 'ambush' or 'streak'.

Tigers are good swimmers and can swim up to 6 kilometers. That's far. It's the same as swimming 120 lengths of an Olympic sized swimming pool. Wow.

Have you heard of white tigers? Well they're very rare and they have a gene in their bodies that are only found in 1 in every 10,000 tigers. It would be great to see one of these in the wild, such a rare find.

Tigers usually hunt alone at dawn or dusk, and sometimes in the dark. Unbelievably less than 10% of their hunts are successful. So 90% of the time they don't come home with dinner...not sure the family would be so happy about that.

Tigers have been known to reach speeds up to 40 miles per hour (65 kilometers per hour). That's quite fast for an animal as big as the tiger.

That's a bit slower than a car which goes at 60 miles per hour (about 97 kilometers per hour), if you're following the speed limit of course.

Who would have known that these huge animals can easily jump over 20 feet (6 meters) in length. That's almost the length of 4 adult men lying head to toe.

That is quite a jump that they can make.

They can do this because their forelimbs are shorter than their hind limbs, which actually help them to jump.

The forelimbs and shoulders are more powerful than the hind limbs. So now we know why they can jump so far.

Sometimes tigers breed with lions and give birth to hybrids known as tigons and ligers. Hmm, a whole new species.

The tiger is a feared predator - they can kill animals more than twice their size and are carnivores, so only eat meat.

A Bengal tiger can eat 46 pounds (21 kilograms) of meat in a night. Can you try and even imagine eating 21 kilograms of meat, that's probably close to what you weigh.

They can also kill the equivalent of 30 buffaloes a year.

Tigers mostly live alone and are very protective about their territories; what's theirs is theirs, and no-one should dare enter! The mark their territories with urine, argh, or by scratching trees.

Apparently their urine smells like buttered popcorn. Well it can't smell all that bad then.

Their territories can reach up to 62 miles squared (100 kilometers squared) in size. That's big.

They clearly like their own space so don't go moving in. It's very rare to find territories of tigers that cross; they stick to their own space.

If you hear a tiger roar, don't start running just yet; it can be heard from as far away as 1 mile (2 kilometers) at night.

Tigers are fast, but not that fast. They can't outrun animals such as deer. What they do instead is creep up on their prey, and attack from the side or from behind.

The way a tiger edges up toward its victim is quite exciting as they initially creep up on them slowly and then they quickly and suddenly strike their prey.

Those powerful jaws will hold the prey by its neck, and will keep it there until it dies. These are cunning and clever cats.

When they do finally catch their prey, 10% of the time, and it's large, they will eat some and then save the rest for later. At least we know they aren't greedy.

They will drag the remains to a thicket and bury it under leaves and when the hunger pangs strike, off they go to get the rest.

Amazingly they will travel up to 20 miles (about 32 kilometers) just to find the right prey.

Believe it or not, but these large cats can purr just like the cats we have at home. Cool. But domestic cats purr when they breathe in and out, and tigers can only purr when they breathe out.

When tigers do purr, it's 100 times louder than a domestic cat's purrs...hold your ears tight!

Tigers that live in hot and humid places are lighter and smaller than their brothers and sisters who live in colder areas.

The tigers in the colder areas obviously need more fur and meat to keep them warmer! Brr.

Tigers and Humans

You know that no two human finger prints are the same? Well it's the same for tigers. No two tigers ever have the same stripes.

Cool, so if you studied them, you'd know exactly who was who. Also, their stripes aren't just on their fur, if you had to shave them, which really isn't advisable; they have stripes on their skin too.

There are more than 100 stripes on each tiger and they're great as it helps them to hide when they're hunting.

This is very interesting. When a tiger is trying to hide its tracks, it pulls in its claws so that it makes it harder to be found. Wow, very very clever.

People think that tigers are man-eaters!

They are definitely not. In fact if you had to bump into one on a stroll in the jungle, they'd probably just wander off into the woods.

Tigers' eyes are different to domesticated cats.

Tigers have round pupils and domestic cats show slitted pupils. This is because tigers hunt at dawn or dusk, but can also be seen hunting at night, whereas cats are nocturnal, they only go out hunting at night.

Tigers have sharp night vision which is six times better than our ability to see at night, but they still don't really hunt at night.

All tigers have yellow eyes, except for one; the white tiger is the only species that has blue eyes.

This is because of the fact that they have a gene which gives them the white fur, and this same gene gives blue eyes.

Weird to think that one tiger would have a different gene to all the rest. Nature is amazing.

Tigers don't roar at other animals, they would only do so if they need to communication with each other. If there is a stand-off then even the tiger who wants to attack will make like a hissing sound. How weird is that?

But if a tiger does roar, do you know why? Well, there are two reasons; he might be defending his territory or inviting his counterparts to mate.

The powerful muscles of tigers are so strong that the cat could remain standing even when it dies. That's mind-blowing!

Tigers only live on the continent of Asia, although of course some of their family members like leopards, lions and cheetahs live in Africa. But there is not one single tiger that lives in Africa outside of captivity.

The footprints of a tiger are known as 'pug marks'.

Hope you enjoyed this cool overview of tigers. Do you have anything to add? Let us know!

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We love all things animals, and the tiger is certainly high up there on our list! A beauty of a beast, which has some interesting tales to tell. Here are some awesome facts about tigers. Enjoy and prepare to be amazed. Did you know that the tiger belonged to the cat family?

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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 60 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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Siberian tigers, also known as Amur tigers, hunt in the harsh climate of the Siberian wilderness where food is scarce.

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Giant Panda Facts for Kids

Check out our giant panda facts for kids. Learn about panda cubs, where pandas live, what they eat, how much they weigh and much more.

Read on and enjoy a variety of interesting information about pandas.

The giant panda is native to China.

It has a black and white coat that features large black patches around its eyes.

Pandas are an endangered species. Population estimates vary but there may be around 2000 left living in the wild.

A giant panda cub weighs only around 150 grams (5 oz) at birth.

Adult males can weigh up to 150 kg (330 lb).

Giant panda have a lifespan of around 20 years in the wild.

Female pandas raise cubs on their own (the male leaves after mating).

The diet of a panda is made up almost entirely of bamboo.

Giant pandas eat as much as 10 kg (22 lb) of bamboo a day.

Giant pandas are good climbers.

The scientific name for the giant panda is 'ailuropoda melanoleuca'.

An animated movie from 2008 named 'Kung Fu Panda' features a giant panda called 'Po'.

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Giant Panda Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Pandas

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Giant Panda Facts for Kids Check out our giant panda facts for kids. Learn about panda cubs, where pandas live, what they eat, how much they weigh and much more.

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Here at National Geographic Kids, we love wonderful wild bears! Join us as we learn about one of nature's cutest critters in our facts about pandas!
Facts about pandas

1. Giant pandas (often referred to as simply "pandas") are black and white bears. In the wild, they are found in thick bamboo forests, high up in the mountains of central China - you can check out our cool facts about China, here!

2. These magnificent mammals are omnivores. But whilst pandas will occasionally eat small animals and fish, bamboo counts for 99 percent of their diet.

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3. Pandas are BIG eaters - every day they fill their tummies for up to 12 hours, shifting up to 12 kilograms of bamboo!

4. The giant panda's scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca, which means "black and white cat-foot".

5. Giant pandas grow to between 1.2m and 1.5m, and weigh between 75kg and 135kg. Scientists aren't sure how long pandas live in the wild, but in captivity they live to be around 30 years old.

6. Baby pandas are born pink and measure about 15cm - that's about the size of a pencil! They are also born blind and only open their eyes six to eight weeks after birth.

7. It's thought that these magnificent mammals are solitary animals, with males and females only coming together briefly to mate. Recent research, however, suggests that giant pandas occasionally meet outside of breeding season, and communicate with each other through scent marks and calls.

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

8. Family time! Female pandas give birth to one or two cubs every two years. Cubs stay with their mothers for 18 months before venturing off on their own!

9. Unlike most other bears, pandas do not hibernate. When winter approaches, they head lower down their mountain homes to warmer temperatures, where they continue to chomp away on bamboo!

10. Excitingly, conservation efforts mean that panda bear numbers are increasing in the wild. Though there's still lots of work to be done, the species is no longer considered endangered. Hooray!

Love reading about brilliant bears? Then check out our ten black bear facts, here!

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10 facts about pandas! - National Geographic Kids

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Here at National Geographic Kids, we love wonderful wild bears! Join us as we learn about one of nature's cutest critters in our facts about pandas! 1. Giant pandas (often referred to as simply "pandas") are black and white bears.

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Read our awesome facts about the beautiful panda and download or print our fun quiz sheet in the activity section at the end to test your knowledge afterwards!

Along with being super cute looking, pandas are really interesting animals. Sit back and find out why the panda bear is such an amazing animal.

The History of the Panda Bear

Pandas have lived on earth for two to three million years. Who would have thought that! They've certainly been around for a long time.

Did you know that for ages scientists didn't know whether pandas were bears or more closely related to raccoons? That would be a massive type of raccoon!

Well now they know of course as it's called a Panda Bear and not a Panda Raccoon. But, that's just the giant panda; they believe that the red panda is indeed from the family of raccoons. Wow.

Pandas are a symbol of peace in China. Hundreds of years ago, when tribes where fighting, they would raise a flag with a picture of a panda on it to stop a battle or call a truce. How awesome is that?

Pandas were once hunted by the Chinese as they thought their fur gave them magical protection over evil spirits. But this isn't allowed anymore thank goodness.

According to legend, the panda was once an all-white bear, but when a small girl tried to save a panda cub from being attacked by a leopard, the leopard killed the girl instead.

Pandas came to her funeral wearing armbands of black ashes.

As they wiped their eyes, hugged each other, and covered the ears, they smudged the black ashes to give them their black and white appearance they have today. What a great story.

There are only 1,000 pandas left in the wild; that's frightening and they are endangered.

The main reason that they're endangered is that areas are being cleared for crops and also the natural die-back of the bamboo they eat.

They unfortunately don't migrate to other areas because they are kind of cornered in by human settlements, so they will often starve to death. That's very sad.

But there's some good news...cool. People are doing loads of great things to save these magnificent animals with special sanctuaries where they can eat and live in peace.

The word 'panda' might have come from the Nepalese word 'poonya', which means 'bamboo-eating animal' or 'plant-eating animal.' Sounds fairly accurate.

Did you know that Richard Nixon received two giant pandas as gifts from China after he'd visited in 1972? What do you do with two pandas?

The two pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, were put in the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Guess you can't really keep them in your backyard!

In China, giant pandas are considered to be national treasures.

Here we take at where Pandas live and surprisingly you can only find them in one place in the world.

Pandas are only found in China, in the wild. Of course you could see some in a zoo, but China is really the special place they call home.

They live in remote mountainous areas in Central China in forests, of course where there's lots of bamboo.

Here's a little biology lesson on Pandas so you can be panda smart!

Pandas are only about the size of a stick of butter at birth, and they're hairless and can't do anything for themselves. The mother normally cradles the tiny cub in one paw and holds it close to her chest!

How cute is that? The mother won't leave the den at all for a couple of days, not even for food or water!

A panda stays in its Mom's tummy for 5 months and it's born in a nest of bamboo. They weigh only 5 ounces (140 grams) at birth and will only crawl when they're about 3 months old. Cute.

They are born white and only get their color much later.

When babies are 7 months old they can climb trees.

Baby pandas are clumsy! They often trip, fall and roll over while exploring their surroundings. Just like normal babies!

It stays with its mother for about 18 months, until it can make its own territory.

It takes about five years for a female cub to become an adult and up to seven years for a male cub. Don't think we'd be ready to be adults at the ages of 5 and 7.

A panda mother is 900 times bigger than her new-born cub. Wow that's a lot.

Guess what pandas eat?

Well, they eat bamboo, but it's not very nutritious, so unbelievably they have to eat up to 44 pounds (20 kilograms) of it every day.

It can take them 16 hours to munch their way through that! Wow. That's most of the day!

Imagine if we had to eat continuously for 16 hours a day, we'd be very full indeed.

They grasp the stalks with 5 fingers and a special wrist bone, that's like an extra finger, and then use their teeth to peel off the tough layers to get to the nice soft, juicy bits underneath.

How big are pandas? They grow up to be about 5 feet long (1.5 meters), which is about the same as young adult, so they're not terribly tall.

How much do pandas weigh? Pandas weigh around 300 pounds (136 kilograms). That's pretty heavy. The average 10 year old weight 100 pounds (45 kilograms), so that could be three of you together!

That's a lot when you consider that they're roughly the same height.

How long do pandas live? Pandas can live for up to 20 years in the wild and 30 - 35 years in human care.

Amazing Facts about Panda Bears

These facts will amaze you about these friendly looking bears that sit and munch away at bamboo. Enjoy!

Pandas are very well known for their black and white coat and black eye patches, but did you know that they are one of the shyest and rarest animals in the world? They've got to be saved!

What would the world be like without pandas?

So we know they're pretty shy, but this is cool; they can bleat, roar, growl and honk! Or they sneeze in a hilarious way. Do you think they honk at passers-by?

Pandas have an extra digit on their hand which obviously helps them to tear the bamboo, but this is seriously cool, their stomach is covered with a thick layer of mucus so they don't get any splinters.

Awesome.

The giant panda has the largest molar teeth of any carnivore; surprising when you consider they're an omnivore (meaning they eat both meat and plants).

They've got an extra molar on their bottom jaw and all their molars are made especially for them to munch their way through all that bamboo.

They can actually crush bamboo stems up to 1.5 inches (4 centimeters) in diameter.

They are quite serious about getting to their bamboo, as they will climb as high as 13,100 feet (4,000 meters) to feed on the higher slopes of the mountains they live on!

That is just under half the height of Mount Everest...unbelievable.

Who would think that these awesome bears can swim, and really well too.

They're also very good climbers as their paws are wide with furry undersides and they have long claws that help them keep their grip.

Have you ever heard of the saying 'Wherever you lay your hat, that's your home'?

Well pandas seem to live by this. They don't actually have a place to rest, they will literally just lie down where they are, and close their peepers.

These bears actually don't hibernate, but if its super-duper cold they'll take shelter in a cave or hollow tree.

A panda marks its territory with its stumpy tail and uses it like a brush to let everyone know that this is their place, and no one else dare enter! They've got scent glands underneath their tails.

Pandas also have very good smell. Males use this smell to stay away from other males and also to find females.

Pandas can stand upright, but their short hind legs can't support their bodies. Amazingly a panda's bones are twice as heavy as the bones of other animals that are the same size as them.

A panda fur is worth between $60,000 and $100,000 on the illegal trade market. That's awful, no wonder they were hunted. Luckily there are special programs in place now to protect these amazing animals.

When you look at a panda, you probably think nice soft fur. Well it's not at all; in fact it is thick and wiry. Don't think we'll be stroking them.

Nobody really knows why pandas have the markings they do.

Some believe that the colors are used for camouflage while others believe the black and white markings help the panda keep a steady temperature, or that the colors help the giant panda avoid other pandas.

There's even a theory that the panda's large black eye spots make their eyes look bigger, and then their stare looks more aggressive. Who knows?

Did you know that a panda is the most expensive animal to keep in a zoo? It costs five times more than an elephant.

We know these gorgeous animals like their bamboo, but they're super-fast when it comes to eating them; they can peel and eat a bamboo shoot in about 40 seconds. That's fast.

Pandas are lone animals and it would be very rare to see more than one panda at a time in the wild.

Have you heard of the World Wildlife Fund? Well if you take a look at their logo, the panda has been on that logo since 1961 when they were founded. Amazing.

How cool is this. Under a panda's fur, the skin is black where the fur is black and pink where the fur is white.

Sometimes pandas have been seen rolling down slopes. Are they playing or are they trying to get rid of twigs in their fur? Who knows what they're up to, but it must be cute to see.

Remember the movie 'Kung Fu Panda' well it features a giant panda called 'Po'.

Pandas don't really feel the cold as their coat is very thick.

The giant panda has the second longest tail after the sloth bear. It measures about 6 inches (15 centimeters).

Pandas have very good manners and they sit up nice and straight while they eat! Remember to sit up straight while you're eating.

The Chinese word for Panda is 'Da Xiong Mao' meaning 'Giant Bear Cat'.

A male Panda is called a boar and a female is called a sow.

What cool and interesting animals these are! We hope you enjoyed our awesome fun facts. Do you have any other facts to add?

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

The Most Dangerous Animal is...The Hippo?

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Read our awesome facts about the beautiful panda and download or print our fun quiz sheet in the activity section at the end to test your knowledge afterwards! Along with being super cute looking, pandas are really interesting animals. Sit back and find out why the panda bear is such an amazing animal.

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Explore National Geographic. A world leader in geography, cartography and exploration.

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

Fun Rhino Facts for Kids

Check out our range of fun rhinoceros facts for kids. Learn about the different species of rhinoceros, their thick skin, horns, weight and much more.

Read on and enjoy a variety of interesting information about rhinoceros.

The name rhinoceros means 'nose horn' and is often shortened to rhino.

There are five different species of rhinoceros, three native to southern Asia and two native to Africa. They are the Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros and Sumatran Rhinoceros.

All five species of rhinoceros can grow to weigh over 1000 kg (2200 lb).

White rhino can weigh over 3500 kg (7700 lb).

White rhinoceros are generally considered the second largest land mammal (after the elephant).

Three of the five rhinoceros species are listed as being critically endangered.

Rhinoceros have thick, protective skin.

Relative to their large body size, rhinoceros have small brains.

Rhinoceros horns are made from a protein called keratin, the same substance that fingernails and hair are made of.

Rhinoceros are often hunted by humans for their horns.

Rhinoceros are herbivores (plant eaters).

A group of rhinoceros is called a 'herd' or a 'crash'.

Despite their name, White Rhinoceros are actually gray.

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Fun Rhinoceros Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Rhino

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Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Rhino Facts for Kids Check out our range of fun rhinoceros facts for kids. Learn about the different species of rhinoceros, their thick skin, horns, weight and much more.

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Learn all about one of our planet's coolest creatures with our ten top rhino facts!

Phylum: Chordata
Family name: Rhinocerotidae
Classification: Mammal
IUCN status: Black, Javan and Sumatran rhino: Critically endangered. White rhino: Near threatened. Indian rhino: Vulnerable.
Lifespan (in wild):
Weight: 500kg -2,500kg
Body length: 2.5m-4m long
Top speed:55km/hour
Diet: Herbivore Habitat: grassy plains, rainforests and swamps.

1) Our planet is home to five species of rhinoceros - the black rhino and the white rhino, which live in Africa, and the Sumatran, Javan and Indian (or greater one-horned) rhino, which inhabit the tropical forests and swamps of Asia.

2) These brilliant beasts are known for their awesome, giant horns that grow from their snouts - hence the name "rhinoceros', meaning "nose horn". Javan and Indian rhinos have one horn, where as the white, black and Sumatran rhinos have two.

3) These incredible creatures are some of the biggest animals in world! The largest of the five species is the white rhino, which can grow to 1.8m tall and and weigh a massive 2,500kg - that's the weight of 30 men!

4) Despite their huge size and strength, these bulky beasts don't prey on other animals for food. They're herbivores, and instead like to munch on lots of grass and plants at night, dawn and dusk.

5) During the heat of the day, these magnificent mammals can be found sleeping in the shade or wallowing in muddy pools to cool off. They love to get mucky, in fact! Mud protects their skin from the strong sun (like a natural sunblock) and wards off biting bugs, too.

6) For the most part, rhinoceroses are solitary animals and like to avoid each other. But some species, particularly the white rhino, may live in a group, known as a ' crash '. These crashes are usually made up of a female and her calves, although sometimes adult females (called cows) can be seen together, too.

7) Males (called ' bulls'), on the other hand, like to be left alone, unless in search of a female to breed with. They're very territorial, too, and mark out their area of land with, believe it or not, poop! In fact, rhinos often use pongy piles to communicate with each other, since each individual's dung smells unique.

8) They may rarely hang out with each other, but they spend a lot of time with their feathered friends! Rhinos are often seen with Oxpeckers (or 'tick birds') perched on their back, which live off the pesky parasitic insects living in the rhino's thick skin. The birds' loud cries also help alert their big buddies of potential danger, too!

9) Because of their huge bodies, strong horns and thick, armour-like skin, rhinos have no natural predators. Nevertheless, these brilliant beasts get frightened easily! When they feel threatened, they're instinct is to charge directly at whatever has spooked them - whether it be another animal or a harmless object!

10) Sadly, it's estimated that there are only around 29,000 rhinos left in the wild, compared to 500,000 at the beginning of the 20th century. The main threat to these beautiful animals is illegal hunting, largely because their horns are used in traditional folk medicine, particularly in Asia. To find out what's being done to protect the rhino - and how you can help, too! - charge over to worldwildlife.org.

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

Credits - Black rhino walking on green grass: Stu Porter, Dreamstime. Picture of rhino from side: Andreanita, Dreamtime.

What did you think of our rhino facts? Let us know by leaving us a comment, below!

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Fascinating rhino facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Learn all about one of our planet's coolest creatures with our ten top rhino facts! Phylum: Chordata Family name: Rhinocerotidae Classification: Mammal IUCN status: Black, Javan and Sumatran rhino: Critically endangered. White rhino: Near threatened. Indian rhino: Vulnerable. Lifespan (in wild): Weight: 500kg -2,500kg Body length: 2.5m-4m long Top speed:55km/hour Diet: Herbivore Habitat: grassy plains, rainforests and swamps.

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Rhinos may look tough, but their skin is actually quite sensitive. They can sunburn, and biting insects "bug" them. That's why they like to wallow in mud-it puts a layer between their skin and the sun and insects!

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Learn about Rhino horns and size including the black, white, sumatran, indian, javan rhinoceros.

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Saving the Black Rhino | National Geographic

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You might think chimpanzees are monkeys, but they belong to the ape family. They're related to gorillas, orangutans and us! That's right - we are related to chimpanzees. Chimpanzees live in 20 countries in Africa. They live in a variety of habitats, such as forests, woodland areas and dry savannahs.

Chimpanzees are among the most intelligent animals on earth. They use tools to catch food. They use sticks to find termites and rocks to crack open nuts. They can learn new things. They can even play computer games! Chimpanzees communicate with each other by panting, barking or drumming. They also use gestures and facial expressions. Boy chimpanzees stay in one group their whole lives. Females join a new group when they grow up. Sometimes male chimpanzees fight with each other.

Chimpanzees eat fruit and plants, but they also hunt. They eat lizards, frogs and even small monkeys. Chimps are endangered. People cut down trees in their habitat. The chimps have no place to go.

Fun Facts about Chimpanzees for Kids

Chimps groom each other. This is one way to show friendship. They comb and pull dirt and bugs out of each other's fur.

Chimps sleep in nests made of leaves. They have babies in these nests too.

Chimps chew up leaves to make sponges. They sop up water with the sponges to drink.

Chimpanzee mothers carry their babies on their back for 4 years or more. They remain close their whole lives.

Chimpanzee Vocabulary

1. Habitat: The type of environment an animal lives in

2. Savannah: Dry, grassy areas with fewer trees

3. Intelligent: Smart, bright, quick

4. Termites: A type of insect

5. Endangered: Might become extinct

Learn More All About Chimpanzees

Watch this cute video about a chimpanzee in the zoo:

A video of a chimpanzee feeding baby tigers through a feeding bottle.

Chimpanzee Q&A

Question : How do chimps communicate with each other?

Answer: They make loud hoots, screeches and calls. Some sounds can be heard a mile away. Now that's a noisy neighbor!

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Question : How long do chimps live?

: Around 50 years. But, humans are cutting down the forests they live in and they are dying sooner. Chimps can also catch the same diseases as humans.

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Question : Where do chimps sleep at night?

Answer : They quickly make nests in the tops of trees by bending down branches and leaves. They get up early in the morning to look for fruit.

Enjoyed the Easy Science for Kids Website all about Chimpanzees info? Take the FREE & fun all about Chimpanzees quiz and download FREE Chimpanzees worksheet for kids. For lengthy info click here.

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You might think chimpanzees are monkeys, but they belong to the ape family. They're related to gorillas, orangutans and us! That's right - we are related to chimpanzees. Chimpanzees live in 20 countries in Africa. They live in a variety of habitats, such as forests, woodland areas and dry savannahs.

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Pack your bags for a family trip, gang - because we're off to the tropical forests of Africa to catch up with one of our closest relatives! Check out our ten top chimpanzee facts ...

Fast chimpanzee facts

Phylum: Chordata
Family name: Hominidae
Classification: Mammal
IUCN status: Endangered
Lifespan (in wild): 45 years
Weight: 32-60kg
Height: 1-1.7m when stood up straight
Diet: Omnivore
Habitat: Tropical forests and woodland savannahs
Range:

1) Chimpanzees are one of our planet's ' great apes ', along with gorillas and orangutans. They have long arms that extend below their knees, short legs and black hair covering almost their entire body. Their faces are flat with big eyes, a small nose and a wide mouth.

2) These amazing animals live in the tropical forests and woodland savannahs of West and Central Africa. Today, populations are fragmented, with the largest groups found in Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo and Cameroon.

3) Did you know the DNA (the material that determines how a living thing will look and function) of chimps and humans is 98.5% the same? That's how closely related we are! As a result, we share many similar features, such as expressive faces, big toes and hands that can grasp. We also show similar behaviours, and like us chimps laugh when playing, hug to show affection and are able to walk upright.

4) In the wild, chimpanzees live in 'communities' made up of around 15 to 80 members led by a dominant, alpha male. Within their communities, chimps sleep, travel and feed in smaller sub-groups of up to ten. These sub-groups can be very flexible, with members changing quickly and regularly.

5) After humans, chimpanzees are the most intelligent of our planet's primates (an animal group which includes apes and monkeys, too), and they've developed impressive ways of communicating. These clever critters "talk" to each other using different gestures, facial expressions and numerous vocalisations, too, such as hoots, grunts and screams.

6) Chimpanzees are experts at grooming, and spend a lot of their time running their fingers through each other's hair to remove dirt, pesky parasites and dead skin. Yucky, eh? Well, it might sound a bit gross to us, but grooming is an super important activity for these cool critters - it not only keeps them clean, but helps them build friendships and strengthen bonds with each other, too.

7) When it comes to food, chimpanzees aren't exactly fussy! Fruit is at the top of their menu, but they also tuck into leaves, flowers, seeds, bird eggs, insects and even other animals, too, such as monkeys and wild pigs. Some groups of chimps eat up to 200 different kinds of food, in fact.

8) These awesome apes are one of the few animals that use tools to help them get things done. Chimpanzees have been known to crack open nuts with rocks, fish out insects from nests and logs using sticks, and shelter from the rain by holding up leaves like umbrellas. Impressive stuff!

9) Females generally give birth to a single chimp (or occasionally twins) every five to six years. For the first six months, the baby chimpanzee clings to the fur on its mother's belly, and then later rides around on her back until the age of two. After that, the youngster will spend the next seven to ten years by its mother's side learning how to find food, use tools and build nests to sleep in.

10) Once found throughout the tropical forests of West and Central Africa, today only around 150,000-200,000 chimpanzees remain in the wild. Sadly, since the early 19th century populations have declined because of habitat loss, hunting and capture for use in zoos, circuses and medical research. To find out what's being done to help protect this precious, endangered species - and how you can help, too! - head over to worldwildlife.org

Images ⓒ Young chimpanzee in tree: Smellme, Dreamstime. Chimp with baby on grass: Kristof Degreef, Dreamstime. Chimpanzee in front of baby: Smellme, Dreamstime.

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Chimpanzee facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Pack your bags for a family trip, gang - because we're off to the tropical forests of Africa to catch up with one of our closest relatives! Check out our ten top chimpanzee facts ...

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Chimpanzees

Adult female and infant common chimpanzees feeding on Ficus

Scientific classification

Subtribe:

Genus:

Chimpanzees are great apes. They live in Africa.

The common chimpanzee lives in West and Central Africa. The bonobo lives in the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The two species are on opposite sides of the Congo River.

Life and description

Chimpanzees mainly eat fruit, leaves, flowers, seeds, bark, honey, insects, bird eggs, and meat. They spend a lot of time with other chimpanzees from their group, acting up, playing, and chatting. Sometimes they will groom each other; combing and looking through each other's thick fur; picking out the dirt and insects. Grooming helps chimps feel comfortable and friendly.

Like gorillas and orangutans, chimpanzees can walk on two feet, but they prefer to move about on all four legs. On the ground, they walk on their hind feet and knuckles. They have hands that look like human hands, but their thumbs are shorter than those of humans. At night, chimpanzees sleep in nests that they make on tree branches. They bend twigs and tuck in leaves to make a soft platform to rest in a place that is safe from enemies on the ground. The gestation period of chimpanzees lasts between six and eight months. Usually only one offspring is produced; they rarely have twins. Chimpanzees live up to 60 years in the wild.

Jane Goodall has studied chimpanzees since 1960. She observed how chimpanzees use tools in several ways. They will pick up rocks to crack nuts for a meal. They also strip down twigs and stick them into a termite mound to collect a tasty snack. Some have been known to make a sponge from leaves in order to hold more drinking water. The chimp chews leaves to soften them up, dips them in rainwater, and then squeezes the water into its mouth. Chimpanzees are also known to think ahead and solve problems.

Chimpanzee aggression

The behavior described in this section refers to the common chimpanzee. At present there is no evidence that the bonobo has a similar level of aggressive behavior.

Attacking monkeys

Chimpanzees attack monkeys by working as a team to corner them in the high branches of the trees. Then they tear the monkey apart and eat it. It is thought the main benefit is that meat is a more rich source of nutrition than their usual vegetarian diet.

"Goodall's Gombe data have also led researchers to take a closer look at the role that hunting plays in chimp feeding habits. One recent Gombe study, for instance, concluded that the 45 members of one troop ate a ton of monkey meat per year. During one hunting binge, chimps killed 71 colobus monkeys in 68 days; one chimp alone killed 42 monkeys over five years. All told, chimps may kill and eat a third of the Gombe's colobus population each year. Researchers have also found that lower-ranking males often trade the meat for mating privileges; such trades may help prevent inbreeding". Otherwise one or two males might father most of a troop's children.

Attacking other chimpanzee groups

If they can, male chimpanzees try to kill the male members of neighboring groups. Males work together when they spot a chance to make a lightning raid on an isolated male from the other group. They kill him. In Gombe, Tanzania, a group in the 1970s was seen to kill seven of their neighbors one by one, until all were gone. It can take years for this to happen but, when it does, the remaining females and the neighboring territory are added to the now larger group. Attacks like this are carefully planned, done only when success is likely, and carried out in silence.

The advantage for the males that triumph is to breed more children. Their tribe also holds a larger territory, and so has access to more food. Several authors have drawn a connection between this behaviour and the origins of human warfare.

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology studied chimpanzees in Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire. The project followed four groups of chimpanzees for twenty years. They found that female chimpanzees patrolled territory and fought with chimpanzees from other groups too, not just males. The scientists wondered if human beings have been imagining that male chimpanzees do all the fighting because we think of human warfare being done mostly by men.

One of the scientists, Catherine Crockford, said: "We are now accumulating compelling evidence that cooperation among non-related individuals, and among males and females, has likely been under selection due to the competition between neighboring groups. These findings have therefore strong implications to understand the evolution of cooperation in social species and in humans in particular. Continuous and long-lasting research and conservation efforts are necessary if we want to understand the interplay between competition and cooperation in this emblematic species for human evolution, and how it relates to our own evolution."

Communication

Chimpanzees show their emotions with their faces and sounds. They make hooting sounds to express the discovery of food, and the face of a chimpanzee with a scowling face and lips pressed is to express annoyance. This means the chimpanzee may attack. Or, the chimpanzee may bare its teeth to express that it is afraid or that a more dominant chimp is approaching. p74/5

Relationship with humans

According to a genome study done by the Chimpanzee Sequencing and Analysis Consortium, humans share either 96% or 95% of their DNA with chimpanzees. However, this applies only to single nucleotide polymorphisms, that is, changes in single base pairs only. The full picture is rather different.

24% of the chimpanzee genome does not align with the human genome, and so cannot be directly compared. There are 3% further alignment gaps, 1.23% SNP differences, and 2.7% copy number variations totaling at least 30% differences between chimpanzee and Homo sapiens genomes. On the other hand, 30% of all human proteins are identical in sequence to the corresponding chimpanzee proteins.

Related pages

Images for kids

Relationships among apes. The numbers in this diagram are branch lengths, a measure of evolutionary distinctness. Based on protein electrophoresis data of Goldman et al.

The chimpanzee louse Pediculus schaeffi is closely related to the human body louse P. humanus.

Human and chimpanzee skull and brain. Diagram by Paul Gervais from Histoire naturelle des mammifères (1854)

Poster for the 1931 film Aping Hollywood. Media like this relied on the novelty of performing apes to carry their timeworn, low comedy gags.

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Chimpanzees Adult female and infant common chimpanzees feeding on Ficus Scientific classification Subtribe: Genus: Chimpanzees are great apes. They live in Africa. The common chimpanzee lives in West and Central Africa. The bonobo lives in the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Top Whale Facts for Kids

1. Whales are mammals.

This means that whale calves grow inside their mothers until they are born. Besides, they are nursed and taken care by their mothers until they reach certain age.

2. Whales breathe air as we do.

Therefore, they need to reach the surface of the ocean to breathe because they cannot breathe underwater.

3. To breathe, whales have a blowhole in the top of their heads.

When they reach the surface, they take air in through this blowhole.

4. There are two types of whales, Baleen Whales and Toothed Whales.

There are several species of whales out there, but they are classified according to the way they feed in two types, baleen whales and toothed whales.

5. Baleen whales feed from krill and plankton.

Krill are shrimp-like creatures which are very important ocean creatures.

6.Toothed whales eat several kind of fish, like tuna, cod and salmon among others and some small mammals like seals.

7. The Blue whale is the largest animal in the world.

Even more, it is the largest animal that has ever existed, even larger than the largest dinosour ever found. The blue whale is a baleen whale.

8. Some baleen whales sing.

Particularly the blue whales and the humpback whales are well known for singing.

9. Whales can swim as fast as 30 miles per hour.

10. Some Whales can stay underwater for as long as 90 minutes.

This applies mainly for the sperm whale which can stay underwater for as long as 90 minutes, although a typical dive for other species is around 35 minutes.

11. Whales do not sleep as we do.

To rest, whales sleep only half brain so they remember to take air in, otherwise they would drown.

12. The most famous story about whales is Moby Dick.

Moby Dick is a novel released in 1851 by Herman Melville.

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1. Whales are mammals. This means that whale calves grow inside their mothers until they are born. Besides, they are nursed and taken care by their mothers until they reach certain age. 2. Whales breathe air as we do. Therefore, they need to reach the surface of the ocean to breathe because they cannot breathe underwater.

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Brace yourselves for a big ocean adventure, gang, with our brilliant blue whale facts. And by 'big', we in fact mean absolutely ginormous!

Fast blue whale facts

Scientific name: Balaenoptera musculus
Phylum: Chordata
Family: Balaenopteridae
Classification: Mammal
IUCN status: Endangered
Lifespan (in wild): 80-90 years
Weight: More than 130,000kg
Body size: 30m long
Diet: Carnivore
Habitat: Ocean
Range:

1) The largest animals to have ever lived on Earth, blue whales can grow to over 30m long and weigh more than 130,000kg - that's longer than three buses and heavier than three lorries!

2) Pretty much everything about the blue whale is massive. It's tongue weighs as much as an elephant, its heart is the size of a car and its blood vessels are so wide you could swim through them!

3) These blue-grey giants have a long, stream-lined body, a wide head, huge flippers, a powerful tail and a small dorsal fin. Some individuals have a yellowy-coloured underside, giving rise to the nickname ' sulphur bottom ' whales.

4) Blue whales can be found in all of our planet's oceans, except the Arctic, usually swimming alone or in groups of two to four. But in areas where there's lots of food available, as many as 60 whales may come together.

5) Despite their humongous size, blue whales eat tiny shrimp-like crustaceans called krill. But they shift a fair few of these seafood snacks - up to 40 million each day, in fact!

6) These marine marvels are a species of ' baleen' whale. Instead of teeth, they have baleen, a fibrous material used to filter their food. When eating, the whale lets a huge volume of water and krill into its mouth. It then pushes the water through its 300-400 baleen plates, which trap the tasty grub to be swallowed. Gulp!

7) To communicate with each other, blue whales make a series of super-loud vocal sounds. Their calls are the loudest of any creature on the planet, in fact, and can be heard underwater for hundreds of kilometres.

8) These awesome aquatic animals follow a seasonal migration pattern. During the feeding season, they fill up on krill in cold polar waters. They then travel to warmer, tropical waters to mate and give birth.

9) At birth, blue whale calves measure around 8m long and weigh a massive 4,000kg! They grow quickly, too - for seven to eight months, these bulky babies suckle on their mother's rich, fatty milk, and gain around 90kg each day!

10) Sadly, in the late 19th early 20th century, blue whales were heavily hunted. And despite a global hunting ban in 1966, their population has declined by 70-90 percent in the past 150 years. With only 10,000-25,000 left in the wild, these magnificence marine mammals are today classified as an endangered species.

Credits - Blue whale with head out of water: Anthony Pierce, Alamy. Blue whale with back out of water: Sburel, Dreamstime. Blue whale in dark blue ocean: Brandon Cole Marine Photography, Alamy. Blue whale fluke: Richard Fitzer, Shutterstock. Blue whale in light blue ocean: Wolcott Henry, National Geographic Creative. Group of blue whales: Flip Nicklin.

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Blue whale facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Brace yourselves for a big ocean adventure, gang, with our brilliant blue whale facts. And by 'big', we in fact mean absolutely ginormous!

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Fun Whale Facts for Kids

Whales are huge, warm-blooded, air breathing mammals that live in the sea. There are many different species including the blue whale, killer whale, humpback whale and minke.

Learn more about whale conservation, their habitat, migration and other interesting information with our fun whale facts.

Many whales are toothless. They use a plate of comb-like fibre called baleen to filter small crustaceans and other creatures from the water.

There are 79 to 84 different species of whale. They came in many different shapes and sizes!

A baby whale is called a calf. Whales form groups to look after calves and feed together. These groups are often made up of all female or all male whales.

Whales that are found in both Northern and Southern hemisphere never meet or breed together. Their migration is timed so that they are never in breeding areas at the same time.

The arched lower lip of a whale can often make it look like it is smiling! However, this isn't a "real" smile as the blubber in the head of the whale prevents the muscles of the face from reaching the surface.

You can tell the age of a whale by looking at the wax plug in its ear. This plug in the ear has a pattern of layers when cut lengthwise that scientists can count to estimate the age of the whale.

Whales love to sing! They use this as a call to mates, a way to communicate and also just for fun! After a period of time they get bored of the same whale song and begin to sing a different tune.

Sometimes whales make navigation mistakes during migrations. Although they may have made the mistake days before, they don't realise it until they becoming stranded.

Whales support many different types of life. Several creatures, such as barnacles and sea lice, attach themselves to the skin of whales and live there.

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Whale Facts - Blue, Humpback, Orca, Killer Whales, Song, Species, Interesting Info

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Fun Whale Facts for Kids Whales are huge, warm-blooded, air breathing mammals that live in the sea. There are many different species including the blue whale, killer whale, humpback whale and minke. Learn more about whale conservation, their habitat, migration and other interesting information with our fun whale facts.

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Educational Videos for Students (Cartoons on Bullying, Leadership & More)

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Learn about Whales Fun Facts for Kids Educational Videos for Students

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Get the lowdown on these marine marvels...

Fast Facts
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Size: 48 to 62.5 ft (14.6 to 19 m)
Weight: 40 tons (36 metric tons)
Group name: Pod
Protection status: Least Concern

Humpbacks are known for singing loud, complex "songs" - lasting up to 30 minutes long! The sounds they make are the most varied in the animal kingdom, ranging from high-pitched squeals and whistles to low, rumbling gurgles. Only males "sing" and experts think they do it to attract females or to let other males know they're in the area.

Humpback whales are known for their magical songs, which travel for great distances through the world's oceans. These sequences of moans, howls, cries, and other noises are quite complex and often continue for hours on end. Scientists are studying these sounds to decipher their meaning. It is most likely that humpbacks sing to communicate with others and to attract potential mates.

These whales are found near coastlines, feeding on tiny shrimp-like krill, plankton and small fish. Humpbacks migrate annually from summer feeding grounds near the poles to warmer winter breeding waters closer to the Equator.

Mothers and their young swim close together, often touching one another with their flippers with what appear to be gestures of affection. Females nurse their calves for almost a year, though it takes far longer than that for a humpback whale to reach full adulthood. Calves do not stop growing until they are ten years old.

Humpbacks are powerful swimmers, and they use their massive tail fin, called a fluke, to propel themselves through the water and sometimes completely out of it. These whales, like others, regularly "breach". This is when the whales leap from the water before landing with a tremendous splash. Scientists aren't sure if this breaching behavior serves some purpose, such as cleaning pests from the whale's skin, or whether whales simply do it for fun!

Photos: Getty Images UK

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Humpback Whale Facts! | National Geographic Kids

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Get the lowdown on these marine marvels... Fast Facts Type: Mammal Diet: Omnivore Size: 48 to 62.5 ft (14.6 to 19 m) Weight: 40 tons (36 metric tons) Group name: Pod Protection status: Least Concern Humpbacks are known for singing loud, complex "songs" - lasting up to 30 minutes long!

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Take a deep breath, gang - because we're diving to the depths of the ocean with some cool killer whale facts!

Fast killer whale facts

Scientific name: Orcinus orca
Family name: Delphinidae
Classification: Mammal
IUCN status: Data deficient
Lifespan (in wild): 50-90 years
Weight: Males up to 9,000kg. Females up to 5,500kg
Head and body length: Males up to 9.8m. Females up to 8.5m
Top speed: 55km/h
Diet: Carnivore
Habitat: Ocean
Range:

Eight tonnes of pure power whacks an ice floe floating in cold Arctic waters. The seal lying on top of the ice doesn't stand a chance. Knocked into the sea, the seal becomes a meal for one of the ocean's top predators - the huge killer whale!

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Killer whales, also called orcas, hunt everything from fish to walruses - seals, sea lions, penguins, squid, sea turtles, sharks and even other kinds of whales are all on their menu. Depending on the season and where they are, their diet varies - some eat plenty of fish and squid, others feast mostly on seals and penguins. But wherever they are in any of the world's oceans, average-sized killer whales may eat about 227 kilograms of food a day!

These mega marine mammals have many hunting techniques, and bumping seals off ice is just one of them. Often referred to as ' wolves of the sea ', killer whales live and hunt together in 'pods', or family groups, much like a pack of wolves.

Working together as they hunt, groups of killer whales cooperate to herd fish into a compact area so that they're easier to gobble up. They will also slap their tails onto the water's surface, causing a wave to wash prey (such as penguins or sea lions) off ice floes and into the water.

Sometimes, a pod of whales will join forces to surround a larger animal, such as a blue whale. They chase, bite and wear it down until it becomes weak enough for them to feast on.

Killer whales have around 45 teeth (each around 7.6 centimeters long), which are shaped for ripping and tearing prey. Instead of chewing their food, they take one big gulp - and believe it or not, these brilliant beasts can swallow small seals and sea lions whole! Bigger prey is ripped into chunks before being eaten.

Scientists believe the colour pattern of killer whales may help them sneak up on and attack their prey. Their backs are black, and their stomachs are white. Animals looking down on this powerful predator from above, such as a seal on an ice floe, might not see it because the whale's dark back blends with the water below.

On the other hand, the killer whale's white underside blends with the light streaming down into the sea from the surface, making it hard to spot from below. Such cool camouflage means prey like fish, penguins and seals are likely to miss the danger heading their way. Crafty, eh?!

Credits - Text adapted from feature by Catherine D. Hughes

Photos - Orca breaching, side: Monika Wieland, Shutterstock. Orca breeching, belly: Bspujari, Dreamstime. Group of orcas: Ivkovich, Shutterstock. Orca with head out of water. Tom Middleton, Shutterstock. Others: Getty.

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Killer whale facts for kids | National Geographic Kids

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Killer whale facts for kids: Learn about these mega marine mammals, with facts about the killer whale's size, characteristics, diet and hunting techniques.

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Synthesizing: Why are chimpanzees endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are chimpanzees endangered? 

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National Geographic for Kids: Polar Bear

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National Geographic for Kids: Polar Bear

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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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Ready for an icy adventure, gang? Here at National Geographic Kids we're heading north - far north! - to meet one of nature's toughest animals in our 10 facts about polar bears...
Ten polar bear facts

1) Polar bears are found in the frozen wilds of the Arctic, in Canada, Alaska (US), Greenland, Russia and Norway.

2) These are seriously big bears, gang. Adult polar bears can measure over 2.5m long and weigh around 680kg. Their huge size and weight make them the largest living carnivores (meat eaters) on Earth!

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3) Polar bears are well adapted to survive in one of the harshest environments on our planet. As well as their thick fur, they have a layer of fat, called blubber, that insulates (protects) their bodies from the frosty air and near-freezing water. Polar bears also have black skin under their glistening coat, which helps them soak up the Sun's rays and keep warm.

4) These magnificent mammals have an incredible sense of smell which they use to track their favourite grub, seals*. In fact, their sense of smell is so good, they can sniff out prey from up to 16km away!

5) Despite their size and bulk, polar bears are excellent swimmers, and have been spotted in waters over 100km offshore. They can comfortably swim at around 10km/h using their slightly webbed, 30cm wide paws like paddles in the water.

6) Although good swimmers, polar bears aren't quick enough to reliably catch seals in open water. Instead, they depend on the ice as a hunting platform. They wait near seal breathing holes or at the ice's edge for a seal to surface. They then snatch it from the sea and...gulp!

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

7) Did you know that a polar bear's fur isn't white? It's actually transparent with a hollow core that reflects light. This helps the bears blend in with their surroundings - a useful trick, especially when hunting wary seals!

8) Female polar bears give birth to their cubs in snow dens (in November or December), where the family is protected from the harsh Arctic environment. At birth, the cubs are only around 30cm long and weigh around half a kilogram - that's about the same as a guinea pig!

9) The polar family emerge from the den four to five months later. The cubs will stay with their mother for about two years, during which time they learn the skills needed to survive in the Arctic.

10) Sadly, these incredible creatures are classified as " vulnerable". The biggest threat to polar bears is climate change. Rising global temperatures means that sea ice is melting earlier and forming later each year, leaving polar bears less time to hunt for food. But the good news is you can help these amazing animals! Check out NG Kids' Five Top Conservation Tips for some environment-saving ideas.

*Polar bears occasionally feed on other arctic marine mammals, too, including whales, walruses and narwhals.

Did you enjoy our 10 facts about polar bears? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

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10 facts about polar bears! | National Geographic Kids

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Join us here at Nat Geo Kids to discover our top facts about polar bears! Where they live, what they eat, and how they survive the in freezing temperatures!

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids

Enjoy our range of fun polar bears facts for kids. Learn what they eat, how much they weigh, where they live, how fast they can run and lots more interesting information. Read on and check out our cool trivia about polar bears.

Polar bears live in the Arctic.

Polar bears have black skin and although their fur appears white, it is actually transparent.

It is the largest carnivore (meat eater) that lives on land.

Polar bears use sea ice as a platform to hunt seals.

Seals make up most of a polar bears diet.

Male polar bears can weigh up to 680 kg (1500 lb).

Female polar bears usually only weigh about half as much as males.

Polar bears spend most of their time at sea.

Scientists estimate that there are around 20000 polar bears.

Polar bears have 42 teeth.

The scientific name for the polar bear is 'ursus maritimus'.

Polar bears keep warm thanks to nearly 10 cm of blubber under the skin.

Polar bears have an excellent sense of smell, with the ability to detect seals nearly a mile away (1.6 km).

Polar bears can reach speeds up to 40 kph (25 mph) on land and 10 kph (6 mph) in water.

The polar bear was the mascot for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.

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Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Polar Bears

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids Enjoy our range of fun polar bears facts for kids. Learn what they eat, how much they weigh, where they live, how fast they can run and lots more interesting information.

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Among all the bears species, Polar Bears are very unique and interesting to study. Their adaptations to their environment in the cold arctic and their survival instincts have always fascinated researchers. Most recent studies have suggested a significant impact of global warming on the life of polar bears and have revealed alarming situation regarding their survival. We have gathered a complete set of Polar Bear Facts for Kids that will enable you to learn all about this amazing animal. Please do share this information with your friends and family in order to create awareness about polar bears.

Polar Bear Facts for Kids

The Polar Bear is a carnivorous bear which is found in the Arctic Circle i.e. Arctic Ocean, Seas and surrounding Land Masses.

It is the sister species of the Brown Bear.

It is born on land, but spends most of its time on sea ice in the Arctic Circle.

It is the one of the largest mammals living on land.

It is a marine mammal because it mostly found near ice and water.

Polar bears are on the top of the food chain in the Arctic region and feed primarily on the seals' fat.

The Polar Bear is one of the largest carnivorous mammal living on land.

It adopted its name - Polar Bear from the fact that it is mostly found at the North Pole of the earth.

A Polar Bear's body is covered in white fur generally. However, its fur color can range from white to creamy yellow and even light brown during summer.

Its fur is very thick, which keeps it warm in the extremely cold climate of the Arctic Circle.

The length of a male Polar Bear is 240-260 cm. And the length of a female polar bear is 190-210 cm.

There are NO other types or species of Polar Bears.

The Polar Bear is made for the cold climate of the Arctic Circle.

Its fur is made up of dense and insulating underfur which has guard hair on top. This fur prevents any heat loss. In fact, it can overheat an adult male if he runs.

Its skin below the fur is black in color, which surrounds an 11.4 cm thick layer of fat. Only this fat keeps the bear warm in water, because the bear's fur is a bad insulator when wet.

Bear cubs can't swim in water because their fat layer isn't thick enough to prevent heat loss.

The polar bear tail is short and ears are small and round, which further minimizes the heat loss.

The paws of the Polar Bears are ideal for walking on the Arctic.

In water, the front paws act as large paddles and rear paws act as rudders for swimming.

Polar bears have a remarkable sense of smell as they can detect a seal 3 feet beneath the ice from a distance of one kilometer.

Adults polar bears are great swimmers as they can swim for hours in search of food.

Learn more: Do Polar Bears Have Tails

Polar bear can run at a speed of about 40 kph (25 mph).

Eyes of the Polar Bear are dark brown which are quite close together.

Polar Bear's eyesight is similar to the humans.

Its eyes have a protective membrane that protects them from ultraviolet light.

The Polar Bear has large paws with five toes each. Their diameters are 30 cm (12 inches).

These paws act like snowshoes, carrying bear's weight as it travels over ice and snow.

The Polar Bear has round and partial webbed fore-paws and elongated hind paws.

The sole of Polar Bear's feet have black thick pads which are covered with soft, small dermal bumps scientifically known as "papillae".

These papillae help the Polar Bear in walking without slipping because it produces friction between the foot and ice.

Each toe of the Polar Bear has round, thick and non-retractile claws. These claws are used for grasping prey and for adhesion during climbing and running on ice.

A Polar Bear has 11.4 cm of thick fat which is covered by it's skin.

The polar bear skin color is black in color. It absorbs the heat from sun and keeps the bear warm.

The skin is covered with fur, made up of two layers:1. The outer layer of the fur is clear, having long 'guard' hair. Their length is 5-15 cm.

2. The inner layer is a thick undercoat having shorter hair.

Some of the unusual characteristics of the guard hair are:
1. They are tapered and have a hollow core filled with air.
2. They have light scattering particles inside them.
3. They are made of keratin which is a protein.
4. They also have small salt particles which are present in every hair.

The white fur is a very good insulator and prevents almost any heat loss.

However, the fur is a poor insulator when it becomes wet.

Polar bears have evolved to have black skin.

Black objects don't reflect any light. Hence, they absorb the most heat energy from the sun among all the other colors.

The temperature in countries around the Arctic Circle like Alaska, Russia, Greenland, Norway and Canada is very low. So, sunlight is an important source of energy for Polar Bears in the Arctic Circle.

The black skin of the Polar Bear absorbs the maximum heat from the sunlight to keep the bear warm.

The clear fur covering the skin allows this sunlight to pass through and be absorbed by the skin, but the fur still looks white due to luminescence.

12. Are Polar Bears White - Why do Polar Bears have White Fur

A polar bear's fur has no color. It looks white because of luminescence.

When the sun's rays bounce off the clear "guard hair" and some of the light energy enters the hair and is trapped.

The energy inside the hollow part of the hair bounces around which causes the emission of light, called luminescence.

Polar Bears generally appear white due to luminescence in their colorless fur.

However, the colors of the Polar Bears range from White to Creamy Yellow to Light Brown.

Polar Bears are found mostly in the Arctic climates where it is extremely cold during winters.

They have thick fur which keeps them safe from freezing to death.

The thick fur is a poor conductor of heat, so it minimizes heat loss from the body after trapping air from surroundings.

So, the basic purpose of the thick fur on Polar Bears is to keep them warm.

Among all the bear species polar bear is the biggest bear.

How Tall are Polar Bears - Polar Bear Height

The average height of polar bears when standing on all of its fours legs is 1 to 1.5 meter i.e. 3.5 to 5 feet.

The average height of polar bears when standing on its hind legs is more than 3 meter i.e. 10 feet.

The average length of a polar is around 2.2 to 2.5 meter i.e. 7.25 to 8 feet from head to rump while the tail only adds another 3 to 5 inches.

Learn more: How Tall is a Polar Bear

How Heavy is a Polar Bear - Polar Bear Weight

Adult Female - 150 to 250 kg

Adult Male - More than 800 kg

Learn more: How Much Does A Polar Bear Weigh

The average life span of Polar Bears is:
1. Wild Polar Bear - 15 to 18 years
2. Captive Polar Bear - 20 to 30 years

The oldest that a Polar Bear ever lived was 42 years.

Polar Bears have evolved over time to adapt to their habitat in order to survive.

The adaptations developed by Polar Bears are:
1. Small Ears - Reducing heat loss
2. Small Tail - Reducing heat loss
3. Thick layer of Fat - Insulation and Energy storage
4. Thick fur - Insulation and Camouflage
5. Fur on soles - Better grip and Insulation
6. Large feet - Better load management on ice
7. Sharp Teeth and Claws - Help in Hunting and Eating

The Polar Bear life cycle includes 3 major steps:

Mating (Spring)
1. The Polar Bears start looking for mates as the snow starts to melt.
2. After mating, the eggs don't implant until fall. This phenomenon is calleddelayed implantation.
3. The male takes off on its own after staying with the female for few days.

Denning (Fall & Winter)
1. After feeding in summer, a pregnant female Polar Bear starts looking for a den, where the cubs will be born and nursed till Spring.
2. It builds a den by digging up a snow cave, big enough for he to turn around in. And then waits for the snow to block the entrance to the cave.

Birthing (Winter)
1. The cubs are born in December. One, two or three cubs are born.
2. They stay with their mother in the den. During this time, the mother doesn't eat or drink anything. She nurses her children all the time.

Learn more : Polar Bear Life Cycle

A male Polar Bear becomes capable of breeding at the age of 6 to 10 years.

A female Polar Bear become capable of breeding at the age of 5 to 6 years.

It breeds once every three years.

Its breeding season lasts from late March to mid-July.

After mating, the fertilized egg converts into blastocyst, which floats in the uterus for about four months without any growth.

The growth starts when the blastocyst implants in the uterine wall.

The physical embryo takes four months to develop.

The cubs are born in December due to delayed implantation. This provides time for the female to improve her physical condition, so she can nurse her cubs better.

These cubs are guarded from cold in a den resembling an igloo.

They feed on their mother's milk until late March or April.

The average Polar Bear gestation period is 8 months.

The delayed implantation occurs during this time period.

After mating, the fertilized egg converts into blastocyst, which floats in the uterus for about four months without any growth.

The growth starts after the implantation of blastocyst in the uterine wall.

The physical embryo takes four months to develop.

The cubs are born in December due to delayed implantation. This provides time for the female to improve her physical condition, so she can nurse her cubs better.

After birth, the weight of polar bear cub is about 454 to 680 grams (16-24 oz.). They are approximately 30 cm (12 in.) long.

Females cubs are slightly smaller than males.

Polar Bear cubs are born little and impotent.

Their eyes are closed when they are born.

After birth, their fur is very fine due to which they look hairless.

Polar Bear cubs spend their early childhood days in the den to stay safe and warm. The mother nurses them for 12 to 18 weeks.

The cubs grow quickly in size and weight by feeding on their mother's milk. Within a few months, the newborn cubs are ready to eat food. Their new fur grows in 8 to 10 weeks, but sometimes it takes 14 weeks.

The Polar Bear cubs move out of the den with their mother after 3 or 4 months . Because of their inborn abilities, they quickly learn hunting and survival skills from their mother.

The cubs stay close to "mom" wherever she goes. Once they take their first dip in the ocean, they become acclimated to the water quickly and become good swimmers.

The baby polar bears keenly observe their mother during the hunt and learn all the hunting and survival techniques they will use once they are adults.

Polar Bears don't really hibernate like the brown and black bears.

Female bears hibernate only when they are pregnant.

The pregnant female polar bears dig snow dens when they are about to give birth to their babies.

The female Polar Bears stay readily active inside their dens as they have to nurse their cubs.

They hibernate for three months in these dens and when the cubs are strong enough they come out.

Polar bears are well adapted to swimming.

They can swim throughout the ocean at 10 kph (6 mph) because of their huge webbed paws.

The Polar Bears can usually swim for 160 km (100 miles) continuously.

The Polar Bear is a very strong and courageous mammal.

Its bite force is very large at 1200 pounds per square inch.

It can kill any animal with a single swipe of its paw.

The natural habitat of the Polar Bear is very cold areas.

The areas where it has been spotted in the Northern Hemisphere are:
1. North Pole
2. Ice over the Continental Shelf
3. Archipelagos at the edge of the Polar Basin
4. Arctic Sea Ice
5. Throughout the circumpolar Arctic

The areas where it has been spotted in the Southern Hemisphere are:
1. Southern Labrador
2. Norway
3. Newfoundland
4. Gulf of St. Lawrence (Winter)
5. Bering Sea (Winter)
6. James Bay, Canada (Southern-most)

The Polar Bears' main habitat is on along costs, shore side pack ice, and island of the Arctic region.

Today, over 40 percent of Polar Bears living on pack ice and along shores of the various island of Northern Canada.

There many ice packs in the Arctic Ocean and Sea.

There are many organisms and plankton in the sea which is a rich food source for the Seals.

These Seals live on ice packs and look for food in the sea.

Ultimately, Polar Bears are mostly found near ice packs because they hunt Seals for food.

Polar Bears may stay in the ice packs habitat throughout the year. They prefer the sea ice over all other places.

Sea ice is very important to polar bears. It acts as a platform for them to live, breed, hunt and create maternal dens.

The sea ice is declining at a rate of 4.6% per decade which is threatening a food source for the Polar Bears.

At the southern end, some Polar Bears spend 5 to 6 months on land with no Seals to eat.

This shortage of food has forced the Polar Bears to look for other food sources like:
1. Garbage dumps
2. Human food storage
3. Sled dog yards

However, they are also threatening human life by moving to human communities.

29. What do Polar Bears eat - Polar Bear Diet

Polar Bears are the largest land carnivores in the world.

They feed on:
1. Ringed Seals
2. Bearded Seals
3. Walrus
4. Beluga Whale carcass
5. Bowhead Whale carcass
6. Birds' eggs
7. Vegetation (rare)

They travel very long distances in search of prey.

The fresh water reserves in the Arctic Region are frozen and a Polar Bear can't drink seawater due to health problems it will cause.

It has evolved so it doesn't need to drink water at all.

It gets water from the chemical reactions that break down its body fat.

This is why most of the diet of a Polar Bear comprises of fats.

A Polar Bear exclusively hunts Seals.

It waits for the Seal to come to water surface to breathe.

When the Seal comes to the surface, it attacks the Seal by biting and brings it to land before eating.

Sometimes, when prey isn't available, the Polar Bear eats whale carcasses.

The only predators a Polar Bear has are other Polar Bears and humans.

However, Polar Bear cubs are likely to fall prey to wolves or other carnivores.

Sometimes, newborn cubs are eaten by their mothers or other Polar Bears. This phenomenon is called Cannibalization.

Learn more: What Eats Polar Bear

Polar Bears are currently marked as Vulnerable and their number is decreasing continuously.

The total number of Polar Bears left in the world is 20,000 to 25,000.

Yes Polar Bears are dangerous animals.

They are naturally hunters, as they get their food by hunting Seals and Walruses.

They have been reported to attack humans too.

In 2011, a boy was killed and some other people were injured in Norway.

In the past 20 years, six people have been killed by Polar Bears in Canada.

35. International Polar Bear Day

The Interational Polar Bear day is celebrated on February 27th of every year.

36. Polar Bear Facts for Kids Video

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Polar Bear Facts for Kids - Learn All About Polar Bears - Kidz Feed

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The complete Polar Bear Facts for Kids that will help you learn all about the polar bears. Learn all about polar bears, its scientific classification, physical characteristics, species, eyes, paws, size, weight, height, lifespan, fur, skin color, hibernation, adaptations, life cycle, appearance, habitat, diet, reproduction.

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For such a big animal, polar bears sure start out small! A cub is about the size of a stick of butter when it is born. It is born hairless, with its eyes closed. Milk from polar bear mothers is 35 percent fat; this helps the cubs grow quickly.

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Polar bears, also known as Ursus maritimus by their scientific name, are the largest carnivore living on land in the Arctic.

Even though we might think so, they don't live with the super cool penguins, who actually live in Antarctica.

Let's explore some polar bear facts!

Where are Polar Bears found?

There are five countries that are lucky to have polar bears and they are the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway.

Funky names

They've got some pretty cool names that people refer to them by including (obviously) "Polar Bears". But other name are Sea Bears, White Bears or Beliy Medved in Russia, Isbjorn in Denmark, Lord of the Arctic, Ice Bear or Nanuk to the Inuits, which means an animal worthy of great respect.

Which name will you call the Polar Bear? Sadly they are on the vulnerable list of endangered species.

How do they hunt for food?

They are very big and powerful white bears. Some scientists think that they started to evolve about five million years ago from brown bear ancestors.

That is a seriously long time ago! They are brilliantly adapted for survival in their icy homes and they hunt seals in openings on the ice - called leads - or at breathing holes.

They wait silently for hours or days for seals to come to the surface.

If one bear ' owns' a large carcass, it might share it if the guests approach low-to-the-ground, circle the carcass slowly and touch the nose of the bear in charge.

How interesting is that...they need to do a dance for some food! A polar bear can also hunt by swimming beneath the ice.

They mostly eat seal blubber because of its high fat content but sometimes eat walruses and beached whales. If stranded on land, they will eat vegetation, geese, bird eggs and occasionally caribou.

They can survive for seven to ten days without food.

How large are polar bears?

An adult male normally weighs between 775-1,200 pounds (351-546 kilograms).

The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 2,209 pounds (over 1,000 kilograms), which is about the same as an average car. That's unbelievable!

Adult females weigh about 330-650 pounds (150-295 kilograms).

More cool facts about Polar Bears

42 razor sharp teeth

Paws measuring up to 12 inches (about 30 centimeters) across. These paws distribute their weight when they're treading on thin ice. They also act as paddles and rudders when swimming.

An excellent sense of smell. They can sniff out their seal meal on the ice 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, or at a breathing hole more than half a mile away under water (which is just under one kilometer)

Excellent sight and hearing.

Polar bears are also very intelligent!

Polar Bear Cubs

Females usually have two cubs that stay with their mother for about two and a half years, learning to hunt and survive.

Polar Bears don't hibernate, but mother bears live in dens to raise their cubs, where they don't eat or drink during that time.

How do Polar Bears Communicate?

Polar Bears use body language and vocal sounds to have a chat to each other.

They sway their heads from side-to-side when they want to play; make chuffing sounds when stressed; loud roars, hisses or growls when they're angry and deep growls when they're defending food.

They also attack with lowered heads and ears laid back and move downwind to show submission.

Are Polar Bears Actually White?

Although Polar Bears appear white, their fur is actually transparent, and has a hollow core. It looks white because it reflects visible light. Under their fur, polar bear skin is actually black with a layer of fat about 4.5 inches (11.5 centimeters) thick.

This layer helps keep them warm under water.

Mother bears are reluctant to swim with young cubs during cold spring temperatures as the cubs don't have enough fat to keep warm; it's their dry fur that keeps them warm.

Polar bears look whitest when they are clean and in sunlight. Before molting, oils from the seals they eat can make them look yellow. In San Diego Zoo in 1979 polar bears turned green because of algae growing in their hollow hair shafts.

Luckily, they turned white again with the zoo fixing and algae.

Biologists gather information about Polar Bears by fitting them with plastic belting tracking collars. They stay flexible in cold temperatures.

Nowadays, GPS is used to track them and is accurate within 30 feet (10 meters).

Most collars are fitted with an automatic release mechanism and a clock set to drop off on a specific date.

Collars don't interfere with the bear's natural activities. Bears can be followed for a long time to learn about their movements, hunting patterns, distances covered, time spent on land and in the water, their use of habitat and the rate of survival of cubs.

Now aren't these just the coolest animals around? We hope you've learnt some cool stuff about Polar Bears!

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Polar Bear Facts For Kids Polar bears, also known as Ursus maritimus by their scientific name, are the largest carnivore living on land in the Arctic. Even though we might think so, they don't live with the super cool penguins, who actually live in Antarctica. Let's explore some polar bear facts!

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Emperor penguins spend their entire lives on Antarctic ice and in its waters. They survive-breeding, raising young, and eating-by relying on a number of clever adaptations.

These flightless birds breed in the winter. After a courtship of several weeks, a female emperor penguin lays one single egg then leaves! Each penguin egg's father balances it on his feet and covers it with his brood pouch, a very warm layer of feathered skin designed to keep the egg cozy. There the males stand, for about 65 days, through icy temperatures, cruel winds, and blinding storms.

Finally, after about two months, the females return from the sea, bringing food they regurgitate, or bring up, to feed the now hatched chicks. The males eagerly leave for their own fishing session at sea, and the mothers take over care of the chicks for a while.

As the young penguins grow, adults leave them in groups of chicks called crèches while they leave to fish. There is a reason for the timing of emperor penguins' hatching. By December, when the Antarctic weather has warmed somewhat, the ice the penguins occupy begins to break up, bringing open waters closer to the nesting sites. Now the chicks are old enough to take to the seas and fish for their own food.

Check out the book Penguins vs. Puffins for more about these amazing birds!

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Emperor penguins spend their entire lives on Antarctic ice and in its waters. They survive-breeding, raising young, and eating-by relying on a number of clever adaptations. These flightless birds breed in the winter. After a courtship of several weeks, a female emperor penguin lays one single egg then leaves!

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All About Penguins for Kids: Penguins of the World for Children - FreeSchool

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Penguin Facts for Kids

Enjoy our fun penguin facts for kids. Learn about the Emperor Penguin, King Penguin, Crested Penguin, Little Blue Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin and more. Read on to find out what makes penguins unique members of the animal kingdom.

Penguins are flightless birds.

While other birds have wings for flying, penguins have adapted flippers to help them swim in the water.

Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Galapagos Penguin is the only penguin specie that ventures north of the equator in the wild.

Large penguin populations can be found in countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina and South Africa.

No penguins live at the North Pole.

Penguins eat a range of fish and other sealife that they catch underwater.

Penguins can drink sea water.

Penguins spend around half their time in water and the other half on land.

The Emperor Penguin is the tallest of all penguin species, reaching as tall as 120 cm (47 in) in height.

Emperor Penguins can stay underwater for around 20 minutes at a time.

Emperor Penguins often huddle together to keep warm in the cold temperatures of Antarctica.

King Penguins are the second largest penguin specie. They have four layers of feathers to help keep them warm on the cold subantarctic islands where they breed.

Chinstrap Penguins get their name from the thin black band under their head. At times it looks like they're wearing a black helmet, which might be useful as they're considered the most aggressive type of penguin.

Crested penguins have yellow crests, as well as red bills and eyes.

Yellow eyed penguins (or Hoiho) are endangered penguins native to New Zealand. Their population is believed to be around 4000.

Little Blue Penguins are the smallest type of penguin, averaging around 33 cm (13 in) in height.

Penguin's black and white plumage serves as camouflage while swimming. The black plumage on their back is hard to see from above, while the white plumage on their front looks like the sun reflecting off the surface of the water when seen from below.

Penguins in Antarctica have no land based predators.

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Fun Penguin Facts for Kids - Emperor, King, Chinstrap Penguins & More!

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Penguin Facts for Kids Enjoy our fun penguin facts for kids. Learn about the Emperor Penguin, King Penguin, Crested Penguin, Little Blue Penguin, Chinstrap Penguin and more.

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Cartoons have been made about them, as well as movies where they've shown off their dancing skills.

Although penguins probably aren't dancing around on the ice, there are still many amazing things they can do!

Keep reading to learn some interesting facts about penguins.

What are the characteristics of a penguin?

Penguins belong to the bird family but they cannot fly. They have black and white feathers that make excellent camouflage, and they have a special layer of feathers which helps to keep them warm.

They spend half of their life on land and the other half swimming in the water, so their wings have changed to act like flippers which makes them great swimmers.

Penguins are known for waddling their feet when they walk, and they also slide on their bellies across the snow. Both of these help them move while saving their energy.

Where do penguins live?

Almost all groups of penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, which is the bottom half of the Earth. There is one group, the Galápagos penguin, that lives in a different part of the world, but this is not very common.

When we think about penguins, a lot of people usually think they all live in freezing cold climates like Antarctica.

While some penguin specie do live there, most penguins live in warmer areas. Penguins have adapted for life in the water, and they spend a lot of their time in or near the ocean.

Most groups of penguins can be found in Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa.

What are the Different Types of Penguin Species?

There are eighteen different kinds of species in Penguin. Each species has unique characteristics, including size, coloration, and behavior.

Some of the penguin species:

The Little Blue Penguin has a blue-grey back and white belly, with slate blue feathering on their head and wings.

Crested Penguins have yellow feather crests on their heads.

Fairy Penguins have blue-grey back and white belly and 16 inches tall, and weigh 1 kg.

Gentoo Penguins have a white belly and a bright orange-red beak.

Galapagos Penguins have a black back and white belly, with a distinctive black band across their chest.

What do penguins eat?

Most penguins eat krill (which is kind of like shrimp), fish, squid, and other types of sea life that they can catch while they swim in the water.

Do penguins have any predators?

Penguins have a few predators and these include sharks, orcas, and leopard seals. Humans used to hunt penguins for their oil and eggs, but because penguins are protected, this is now illegal.

How do penguins protect themselves?

One of the biggest ways that penguins protect themselves is by living in large groups.

Many predators will be less likely to attack if there are a lot of penguins around, and this also helps because there are so many of them keeping lookout.

Another way penguins protect themselves is by their special camouflage on their feathers which is called countershading.

Penguins have black feathers on their backs and white on their fronts, so if a predator is looking up from the water, like an orca or a leopard seal, they will have a hard time seeing the penguin because of the bright water surface.

Finally, penguins are excellent swimmers and can outswim a lot of their predators.

If they get close to land, they can jump out of the water at a high speed and quickly escape the threat.

Explorers first called them "Strange Geese."

The Galapagos penguin first bumped into the explorers who visited the Galapagos Islands in the 16th century. These penguins were mistaken for strange geese as they were unfamiliar with penguins. Later scientists realized that the birds were a penguin species and named them the Galapagos penguin.

Climate change is also a threat to the Galapagos penguin. Sea temperatures can impact penguins' ability to find food, as their prey species may migrate to cooler waters. Efforts are being made to protect the Galapagos penguin.

Penguins don't have teeth.

No, Penguins do not have teeth. They have small spines or barbs on the tongues and the roof of their mouths that help them grip and swallow their prey. Penguins do not chew their food; they use the powerful muscles in their stomachs to break down and digest it. Penguins are expert hunters and can dive to depths of up to 500 feet to catch their prey. Once they catch their prey, penguins use their barbed tongues and mouths to grip and swallow it whole.

Why are penguins called flightless birds?

Penguins are a group of flightless birds that have adapted to life in the water. As penguins cannot fly, they have developed a unique talent that allows them to swim and dive with incredible speed and agility. One of the striking adaptations of penguins is their ability to "fly" underwater. Penguins can swim up to 22 miles per hour and dive to depths over 500 feet. Penguins also have the ability to waterproof feathers that keep them warm and dry while diving.

Emperor Penguins can Hold Their Breath Underwater for an Average of 20 Minutes.

Yes, Emperor penguins can hold their breath underwater for an average of 20 to 27 minutes. Emperor Penguins are the largest species of penguins. This adaption of holding their breath for so long helps them to dive to depths of over 500 meters in search of food. While hunting for food, emperor penguins can swim up to 8 miles per hour using their wings to propel themselves through the water. An Emperor penguin can consume up to 4.4 pounds of food in a single feeding session.

Why are penguins called business goose?

The Chinese word for penguin, 企鹅 (qǐ'é), is made up of two characters: 企 (qǐ) and 鹅 (é). The character 企 (qǐ) means "Business," while 鹅 (é) means "goose." When these two characters are combined, they create a word that literally translates to "business goose." The reason for this translation is unclear, but it is believed that penguins, like geese, stand upright and have long necks. Chinese people use the term 企鹅 (qǐ'é) to refer to penguins without any reference to geese or business.

The Oldest Penguin Fossil

The oldest penguin fossil was discovered in 1982 on Seymour Island, off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The fossil was found by a team of paleontologists led by Dr. Ewan Fordyce from the University of Otago, New Zealand.

The fossil was estimated to be about 61 million years old and belongs to a previously unknown species of penguin known as Waimanu Manneringi. This ancient penguin species was about the size of a modern-day rockhopper penguin, standing about 2.5 feet tall, and had a long beak with teeth, unlike most penguins.

Physical Characteristics of Penguins

Penguins come in various sizes, have black and white coloration, and have a thick layer of feathers to keep them warm. Their wings have evolved into flippers, and they have webbed feet that help them swim. Penguins can hold their breath for extended periods and dive to great depths for food.

Penguins Breeding and Reproduction

Penguin breeding and reproduction involve elaborate mating rituals and nest building. Female penguins typically lay one or two eggs, and both parents take turns incubating eggs and feeding chicks. Chicks grow and eventually grow feathers, leaving the nest to learn how to swim and hunt for food.

Quick Facts

Some More Penguin Facts

Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.

They spend half their life on land and half in the water.

Penguins eat krill, fish, squid, and other sea creatures.

Their biggest predators are sharks, orcas, and leopard seals.

Penguins can swim at speeds of over 20 miles per hour.

Whether you are familiar with penguins from nature shows, or tap-dancing movies, they are popular animals that many people know and love.

Penguins are excellent swimmers and are known for their belly slides and waddles. These fascinating creatures will continue to inspire stories and movies for years to come!

Now, let's explore more animal facts! But before you do, one last thing. Can you name two other animals you might find around the North Pole or South Pole?

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35 Interesting Penguin Facts For Kids [year] [With Pictures]

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35 Interesting Penguin Facts For Kids [With Pictures] Cartoons have been made about them, as well as movies where they've shown off their dancing skills. Although penguins probably aren't dancing around on the ice, there

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Are you wrapped up warm? We sure hope so - because Nat Geo Kids is off to the icy Antarctic to catch up with our penguin pals! Check out our top ten facts about emperor penguins...
Emperor penguin facts

1. Emperor penguins are truly beautiful birds. Adults have a white stomach and a black head, back, tail and wings. They also have yellowy-gold markings on the side of their head and neck.

2. Emperor penguins are the largest of all the different kinds of penguin. On average they measure 115cm tall - about the height of the average six year old.

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3. Emperor penguins spend their entire lives in Antarctica - the Earth's southernmost continent - where temperatures can drop to as low as -60°C. Brrrr.

4. To survive in such low temperatures, these brilliant birds have special adaptations - they have large stores of insulating body fat and several layers of scale-like feathers that protect them from icy winds. They also huddle close together in large groups to keep themselves, and each other, warm.

5. Around April every year (the start of the Antarctic winter) emperor penguins meet to breed on the thick Antarctic ice. By the time the female lays her egg (usually around June), she"s worked up a big appetite! She passes the egg to the male before journeying up to 80km to the open ocean where she can feed her hungry tummy on fish, squid and krill.

6. During this time, the males are in charge of keeping the egg safe and warm in the breeding ground. They do this by balancing the egg on their feet and covering it with feathered skin, called a ' brood pouch'. It takes about two months for the eggs to hatch.

7. The females return in July, bringing with them food in their bellies which they regurgitate (or throw up) for the chicks to eat. The females now take over babysitting duty, leaving the males to head to the ocean for their own fishing session.

8. As the youngsters grow, the parents leave them in groups, called ' crèches ', whilst they head to the ocean to fish. Come December, the warmer temperatures break up the ice that the penguins occupy, bringing open waters closer to the nesting site. By this time, the chicks are old enough to swim and fish, and take to the ocean themselves!
Without the warmth of the parents' brood pouches, emperor penguin chicks would die in just a few minutes in the cold of Antarctica.
9. These birds are super swimmers and impressive divers. They can reach depths of over 500m and stay underwater for up to 22 minutes!

10. Sadly, today emperor penguins are considered near threatened and their populations are expected to decline rapidly in years to come. It"s feared that rising temperatures due to global warming will reduce their breeding ground, and overfishing will mean less food for them to eat. The good news is that by looking after our planet, YOU can help protect these amazing animals. Check out our Five Top Conservation Tips for some environment-saving ideas!

Images ⓒ Bernard Breton, Dreamstime

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10 facts about emperor penguins - National Geographic Kids

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Ten facts about emperor penguins: learn all about the emperor penguin breeding cycle, where these birds live, what they eat and more...

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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yd-BMAV9OkE2uqCaZdpLGyI1Mt9Hj6FAPWrdSI1dr34/edit

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The black panda has a very distinctive appearance as their fur is both black and white. Their fur helps them survive in cool forests. The giant panda's fur is made of two different types of...

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The Amur leopard, a subspecies living at the San Diego Zoo, exists on the cusp of extinction. As a conservation organization, we are working with other zoos to develop a sustainable and genetically diverse population of Amur leopards that can contribute to new scientific knowledge and to the survival of the species in restored and protected native habitat.

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All About Chimpanzees - EnchantedLearning.com

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Chimpanzees are primates, advanced mammals from Africa which are in danger of going extinct.

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When it comes to the anatomy of marine mammals, whales, dolphins, and porpoises all share several common and unique characteristics that allow them to survive and prosper in the various oceanic environments they can be found living in.

Like other mammals, these marine animals require oxygen to breathe, eyes to see, ears to hear, and mammary glands to feed their young, among other things.

However, unlike other mammals, whales, dolphins, and porpoises have flippers, flukes, a dorsal fin, and blowhole(s) that make navigating the ocean much easier.

They also possess blubber and the ability to shut down non-essential functions when diving to stay warm and maximize their ability to hold their breath for extended periods of time.

This article will give you a basic understanding of a cetacean's anatomy and help you understand why these physical adaptations are so important for their survival.

Blowhole

Whales, porpoises, and dolphins are marine mammals, and like all mammals, they require oxygen to survive.

Unlike other sea creatures such as fish which use gills to extract oxygen from the water, whales must come to the surface to breathe as they possess lungs and a blowhole rather than gills.

The blowhole is situated on or near the top of their head and acts as an airway passage for breathing.

Surprisingly whales cannot breathe through their mouth like humans and most land-based mammals because their esophagus (food passage) and trachea (air passage) are completely separated.

Although whales breathe air, they can spend up to 90% of their lives underwater.

Teeth

Two primary whale suborders are divided based on their physical characteristics.

The first of these two suborders are the toothed whale suborder.

Toothed whales are typically smaller than their baleen whale cousins and have a single blowhole on their heads compared to the two blowholes found on a baleen whale.

To capture their prey, chew their food, and protect themselves against threats, these marine mammals possess teeth.

The number of teeth they possess can vary greatly among species, and some species may not use their teeth for eating.

Some whales, such as the sperm whale, are believed to use their teeth mainly to show aggression, while other species use their teeth only to grab onto their prey and swallow their food whole.

Killer whales are known to use their teeth for everything from biting and wounding their prey to defending themselves when hunting for sharks. Instead of enamel found on the teeth of humans, a whale's teeth are covered in cementum cells, and unless the cementum is worn down, you won't be able to see the enamel on their teeth.

Baleen

Baleen whales are the other suborder of the toothed whale species.

Baleen whales are generally larger than toothed whales and have rows of baleen plates with bristles that resemble the teeth of a comb located on the top of their jaws instead of teeth.

The bristles act as a filter allowing water to escape their mouth while being packed tightly enough to keep fish and crustaceans trapped inside.

Because these large marine mammals do not possess teeth, they end up swallowing their food whole, so they frequently hunt for small manageable prey that is easily consumable and tend to look for large swarms of fish, squid, or krill to consume.

To capture their prey, baleen whales swim towards their prey with their mouth open and use their baleen as a net to capture as much prey as possible. They then push the water out of their mouth and swallow their food whole.

Dorsal fin

The main purpose of the dorsal fin is to stabilize the whale and keep it from rolling in the water.

Dorsal fins can vary greatly in terms of shape and size depending on the whale species, and while many species possess a dorsal fin, there are some exceptions, such as the sperm whale and beluga whale, which have no dorsal fin at all.

Some dolphin and porpoise species also lack the presence of a dorsal fin.

Flipper

The flippers on a whale or dolphin are used to navigate and steer in the ocean.

These marine mammals use their flippers to perform various aquatic acrobatics such as steering left and right by changing their flippers' angle and using their flippers to provide lift so they can rise in the water control their level of aquatic depth.

The flippers are controlled by strong pectoral muscles and can vary in size with each species.

Flukes

The flukes are attached to the end of the whale/dolphin and are used for propulsion.

However, unlike sharks, whales and dolphins move forward by flexing their tail up and down, not left and right.

Eyes

The eyes of a whale are relatively small compared to the rest of its body.

Their eyes are well adapted to aquatic life and secrete an oil used to lubricate and protect their eyes from debris and other chemicals in the ocean.

While it is possible to secrete oil, whales cannot secrete tears, but their cries can often be heard from many miles away.

Ears

The ears of a whale or dolphin are designed differently than humans ears and are well adapted to marine (aquatic) life.

For a whale/dolphin, there is little difference between the inner and outer ear areas.

Instead of receiving sound through the outer ears, whales receive sound through their throat; the sound then passes through a cavity and into the inner ear.

Some whales also use echolocation to navigate the ocean and rely heavily on sound to observe their surroundings.

Blubber

Because whales are warm-blooded, they need to maintain their body heat.

They do this to form a thick layer of insulating blubber around their body, which acts as a heat insulator and moderator.

The thick blubber helps keep the cold/freezing temperatures of the outside water away from the whale's vital organs and can even protect whales against attacks from predators such as sharks and killer whales.

Differences between whales and fish

Given that whales and fish inhabit the ocean together, it's easy to assume that they share some close physical characteristics.

However, this is not the case. In fact, in some ways, whales and fish are like night and day regarding how they live and thrive in the ocean.

For instance, whales possess a thick layer of blubber to keep their vital organs warm in the cold/freezing water.

On the other hand, fish are cold-blooded and do not have to manage or regulate their internal body heat to survive.

Another major difference between whales and fish is that whales breathe air and rise to the water's surface to obtain oxygen while fish extract oxygen directly from the water.

While whales go through a pregnancy phase and give birth to their children, many fish species lay thousands of eggs and leave them to hatch independently.

Here are several characteristics that show some of the major differences between whales and fish:

Are warm-blooded

Breath air

Give birth to their young

Produce milk

Are cold-blooded

Extract oxygen from the water using gills

Lay eggs

They aren't known for nurturing their young

Note: Whales can vary greatly in terms of weights and size.

The dwarf sperm whale, for example, only grows to a length of about 9 ft. and weighs up to 600 pounds, while the blue whale can grow to over 98 ft. and weigh up to 150 tons!

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Whale Anatomy | Characteristics and Traits - WHALE FACTS

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When it comes to the anatomy of marine mammals, whales, dolphins, and porpoises all share several common and unique characteristics that allow them to survive and prosper in the various oceanic environments they can be found living in.

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What do turtles eat?

Freshwater turtles have lots of natural enemies, or predators. In the tropics they are eaten by crocodiles, alligators and caimans, which crunch through their shells and gulp them down. Some big cats such as jaguars will also bite through a turtle's shell to get to the soft flesh inside of it. Even raccoons may gnaw at a turtle shell until they reach the turtle.

Huge sea turtles also have predators. The main predators of sea turtles are sharks, which attack them and bite their legs off.

In addition, people in some countries like to eat turtles and also turtle eggs.

And, what do turtles eat? Most species eat a variety of insects and vegetation. Some are large and powerful enough to eat fish and amphibians.

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What do turtles eat? Freshwater turtles have lots of natural enemies, or predators. In the tropics they are eaten by crocodiles, alligators and caimans, which crunch through their shells and gulp them down. Some big cats such as jaguars will also bite through a turtle's shell to get to the soft flesh inside of it.

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Sea turtles have hard shells (called carapaces) that help protect them, but they still have predators. They are also more vulnerable than land turtles because unlike land turtles, sea turtles are unable to retract their heads or flippers into their shell.

There are some predators of sea turtles as adults, but these marine reptiles are most vulnerable when in the egg and as hatchlings (small turtles recently emerged from the egg).

Predators of eggs and hatchlings include dogs, cats, raccoons, boars, and ghost crabs. These animals may dig up a sea turtle nest to get to the eggs, even if the nest is 2 feet below the surface of the sand. As hatchlings start to emerge, there is a scent of egg that still is on their bodies, plus the smell of wet sand. These scents can be detected by predators even from a distance.

According to the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, threats to turtles in Georgia include the above, plus feral hogs and fire ants, which can threaten both eggs and hatchlings.

Once hatchlings emerge from the egg, they need to get to the water. At this point, birds such as gulls and night herons can become an additional threat. According to the Sea Turtle Conservancy, as few as one in 10,000 sea turtle eggs reach adulthood.

Olive ridley turtles nest in huge groups called arribadas. These arribadas can attract animals such as vultures, coatis, coyotes, jaguars, and raccoons, who may gather near the beach even before the arribada begins. These animals dig up nests and eat eggs and prey on nesting adults.

Once turtles make their way to the water, both juveniles and adults can be prey for other ocean animals, including sharks (especially tiger sharks), orcas (killer whales), and large fish, such as grouper.

Sea turtles are built for life in the water, not on land. So adults can also be vulnerable to predators such as dogs and coyotes when they go up upon beaches to nest.

If turtles survive their natural predators, they still face threats from humans. Harvest for meat, oil, scutes, skin, and eggs decimated turtle populations in some areas. Sea turtles face development on their natural nesting beaches, which means they have to contend with such things as artificial light, and loss of habitat and nesting sites due to construction and beach erosion. Hatchlings find their way to the sea using natural light, the slope of the shore, and the sounds of the ocean and coastal development can interrupt these cues and make hatchlings crawl in the wrong direction.

Turtles may also be caught as bycatch in fishing gear, which was such a problem that turtle excluder devices were developed, although their use is not always enforced.

Pollution such as marine debris is another threat. Discarded balloons, plastic bags, wrappers, discarded fishing line, and other trash may be mistaken by a turtle for food and be accidentally ingested, or the turtle may become entangled. Turtles may also be struck by boats.

A sea turtle's life may be fraught with danger. How can you help?
If you live in a coastal area:

Don't feel wildlife - you may attract turtle predators.

Don't let your dog or cat run loose.

Watch for sea turtles when boating.

Do not disturb or shine lights near nesting sea turtles.

Turn off outside, ocean-facing lights during sea turtle nesting season.

Pick up litter on the beach.

Dispose of trash responsibly, and keep a lid on your trash when it's outside. Trash even far from the ocean can make it's way there eventually.

Never release balloons - always pop them and dispose of them in the trash. Use balloon alternatives whenever possible during your celebrations.

If you eat seafood, research what you eat and eat seafood that is caught without threatening turtles.

Support sea turtle conservation/rehabilitation organizations, even international ones. Sea turtles are highly migratory, so recovery of turtle populations depends on protection in all their habitats.

References and Further Information:

Network for Endangered Sea Turtles. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Sea Turtle Conservancy. Sea Turtle Threats: Invasive Species Predation. Accessed May 30, 2013.

Spotila, J. R. 2004. Sea Turtles: A Complete Guide to Their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation. The Johns Hopkins University Press: Baltimore and London.

The Georgia Sea Turtle Center. Threats to Sea Turtles. Accessed May 30, 2013.

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Find out Which Predators Eat Sea Turtles

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Sea turtles have hard shells (called carapaces) that help protect them, but they still have predators. They are also more vulnerable than land turtles because unlike land turtles, sea turtles are unable to retract their heads or flippers into their shell.

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Sea Turtle Nesting

Sea turtles around the world nest on beaches in warmer places (tropical and sub-tropical beaches.) The female goes ashore, digs a body pit then and a nest (or egg chamber), lays the eggs, and finally covers up the nest. After that, they will camouflage the nest, covering a big area with sand, to hide the nest, and then head to the water. About six or seven weeks later, the hatchlings will emerge and then head to the water.

"The Lost Years"

From the time the hatchlings take their first swim until they return to coastal waters to forage as juveniles may be as long as a decade. This period of time is often referred to as the "lost years" since following sea turtles movements during this phase is difficult and their whereabouts are often unknown.

Following the "lost years", when they have grown to approximately the size of a dinner plate, their pelagic (open ocean) phase comes to an end and they return to coastal waters where they forage and continue to mature. During this time, these reptiles are highly mobile, foraging over large areas of ocean.

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Life Cycle of Sea Turtles - SEE Turtles - SEE Turtles

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Learn about the life cycle of sea turtles, including nesting, hatching, juveniles, adults, and migration.

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Synthesizing: Why are leopards endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are leopards endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are sea turtles endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are sea turtles endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are tigers endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are tigers endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are pandas endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are pandas endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are rhinos endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are rhinos endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are blue whales endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are blue whales endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are polar bears endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are polar bears endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are penguins endangered? 

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Synthesizing: Why are penguins endangered? 

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Leopards are powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars. They live in sub-Saharan Africa, northeast Africa, Central Asia, India, and China. However, many of their populations are endangered, especially outside of Africa.

You can identify most leopards by their light color and distinctive dark spots. Those spots are called rosettes, because they resemble the shape of a rose. These patterns camouflage their bodies as they move through the grass and trees. Black leopards, which appear to be almost solid in color because their spots are hard to distinguish, are commonly called black panthers.

Unlike lions, leopards are solitary creatures. Males are almost entirely solitary and females only break their solitude when they are raising cubs. But, like lions, leopards roar. Male leopards defend their territory by roaring and scent marking, while females use their roar to attract mates and call their cubs. A leopard roar is a rough rasp, like a handsaw cutting wood.

Leopard cubs are born with barely visible spots. The mother hides her cubs and moves them from one safe location to the next until they are old enough to begin playing and learning to hunt. When the cubs are about two years old, they live on their own. But the maternal bonds are strong, and offspring sometimes have reunions with their mothers.

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This is one cat that doesn't need any help getting down from a tree. The leopard is so comfortable up there that it often stalks prey and even hauls its kills up into the branches. Leopards are powerful big cats closely related to lions, tigers, and jaguars.

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High in dense bamboo forests in the misty, rainy mountains of southwestern China lives one of the world's rarest mammals: the giant panda, also called the panda. Only about 1,500 of these black-and-white bears survive in the wild.

Pandas eat almost nothing but bamboo shoots and leaves. Occasionally they eat other vegetation, fish, or small mammals, but bamboo accounts for 99 percent of their diets.

Pandas eat fast, they eat a lot, and they spend about 12 hours a day doing it. The reason: They digest only about a fifth of what they eat. Overall, bamboo is not very nutritious. To stay healthy, they have to eat a lot-up to 15 percent of their body weight in 12 hours-so they eat fast.

Pandas' molars are very broad and flat. The shape of the teeth helps the animals crush the bamboo shoots, leaves, and stems that they eat. They can chomp on bamboo up to one-and-a-half inches thick.

To get the bamboo to their mouths, they hold the stems with their front paws, which have enlarged wrist bones that act as thumbs for gripping. A panda should have at least two bamboo species where it lives, or it will starve.  A scarcity in bamboo threatens the already limited panda population.

An adult female panda weighs 200 pounds. Pandas can climb as high as 13,000 feet and are also very good swimmers. Sometimes male pandas relax by doing handstands against trees.

Pandas are shy; they don't venture into areas where people live. This restricts pandas to very limited areas.
Take the All Things Panda quiz!

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High in dense bamboo forests in the misty, rainy mountains of southwestern China lives one of the world's rarest mammals: the giant panda, also called the panda. Only about 1,500 of these black-and-white bears survive in the wild.  Pandas eat almost nothing but bamboo shoots and leaves.

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Learn about Rhino horns and size including the black, white, sumatran, indian, javan rhinoceros.

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Chimpanzees are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Young chimpanzees learn from observing their mothers and other adults which foods are safe to eat and where ripe food is located.

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Chimpanzees are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. Young chimpanzees learn from observing their mothers and other adults which foods are safe to eat and where ripe food is located. For the first few months of its life, a baby chimp clings to its mother's belly as she travels with it everywhere.

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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.