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Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

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Kiwi are flightless, nocturnal birds native only to New Zealand. They have the second largest egg per body weight of any bird.

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Featured Creature: Kiwi | Blog | Nature | PBS

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Which came first: the kiwi or the kiwifruit? Was the bird named for the fruit or the fruit named for the bird? As it turns out, it was the latter. In the

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In 2009, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance formed collaborations with local ranchers on a private island off the coast of western New Zealand, Massey University, in-country scientists, and the indigenous Maori people to delve into the ecology of the brown kiwi, which has been in decline for decades.

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Username: ABDO Secondary
Password: 2020

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

Fun Horse Facts for Kids

Check out our fun horse facts for kids and enjoy learning a wide range of interesting information about horses. Find out the difference between a colt and a filly, read about horses funny sleeping habits, how fast they run and much more.

Horses can sleep both lying down and standing up.

Horses can run shortly after birth.

Domestic horses have a lifespan of around 25 years.

A 19th century horse named 'Old Billy' is said to have lived 62 years.

Horses have around 205 bones in their skeleton.

Horses have been domesticated for over 5000 years.

Horses are herbivores (plant eaters).

Horses have bigger eyes than any other mammal that lives on land.

Because horse's eyes are on the side of their head they are capable of seeing nearly 360 degrees at one time.

Horses gallop at around 44 kph (27 mph).

The fastest recorded sprinting speed of a horse was 88 kph (55 mph).

Estimates suggest that there are around 60 million horses in the world.

Scientists believe that horses have evolved over the past 50 million years from much smaller creatures.

A male horse is called a stallion.

A female horse is called a mare.

A young male horse is called a colt.

A young female horse is called a filly.

Ponies are small horses. More pony facts.

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Fun Horse Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Horses

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Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Horse Facts for Kids Check out our fun horse facts for kids and enjoy learning a wide range of interesting information about horses.

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Scientific Name:

Equus ferus caballus

Size:

Height at the shoulders: 30 to 69 inches

Weight:

120 to 2,200 pounds

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

Horses and humans have an ancient relationship. Asian nomads probably domesticated the first horses some 4,000 years ago, and the animals remained essential to many human societies until the advent of the engine. Horses still hold a place of honor in many cultures, often linked to heroic exploits in war.

Wild and Domesticated

There is only one species of domestic horse, but around 400 different breeds that specialize in everything from pulling wagons to racing. All horses are grazers.

While most horses are domestic, others remain wild. Feral horses are the descendents of once-tame animals that have run free for generations. Groups of such horses can be found in many places around the world. Free-roaming North American mustangs, for example, are the descendents of horses brought by Europeans more than 400 years ago.

Wild horses generally gather in groups of 3 to 20 animals. A stallion (mature male) leads the group, which consists of mares (females) and young foals. When young males become colts, at around two years of age, the stallion drives them away. The colts then roam with other young males until they can gather their own band of females.

The Przewalski's horse is the only truly wild horse whose ancestors were never domesticated. Ironically, this stocky, sturdy animal exists today only in captivity. The last wild Przewalski's horse was seen in Mongolia in 1968.

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Explore the ancient relationship between human and horse. Learn why hundreds of distinctive breeds are all members of a single species.

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Learn about the horse including terminology, colors, food, wild horses and more.

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Discover the Differences Between a Horse and a Pony

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Discover the similarities and differences between horses and ponies. Tell one from the other based on size, strength, appetite, and other traits.

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The Largest and Smallest Horse Breeds Around the World

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The Largest and Smallest Horse Breeds Around the World

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The 12 Smallest Horse Breeds Around the World

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Miniature horses often don’t exceed 100 pounds or exceed 57 inches. Learn about some of the smallest horse breeds.

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Horses have very specific dietary needs because they are herbivores, and have a unique digestive tract quite different from ours. Their long digestive system requires a high-fiber diet that is consumed in small amounts over a long time period. Rather than a few large meals, like we typically eat, horses usually eat many small meals throughout the day. Horses actually spend most of their time eating! Here is a quick rundown of what horses eat and a few things they shouldn't.

Pasture Grass and Tender Plants

The natural diet of the horse is pasture grass and tender plants. Good pasture contains most of the nutrition a horse requires to be healthy. It also contains silica, which is important for dental health. Primitive horses can live on sparse rations and often have to make do with less than ideal pasture and living conditions. This is likely why problems like obesity, equine metabolic syndrome, and laminitis are rare in wild horses but occur frequently in our modern horses. Pasture grass isn't necessarily the problem; the type of horses we've developed and the lack of exercise are.

Those of us with easy keepers need to limit the amount of fresh grass our horses have access to. Introducing lush pasture suddenly to a horse not used to it can cause serious problems as well. For the horse that is a hard keeper, however, good pasture provides the best nutrition.

Many of us don't have the luxury of being able to let our horses graze on pasture throughout the whole year. When grass isn't available, hay is the next-best choice. Finding good horse hay can be tricky. It helps to have hay tested, so any shortfalls in vitamins and minerals can be compensated for with supplements. For some horses, rich hay can be a problem in the same way rich pasture grass can be. ​Easy keepers may need to be restricted from 24/7 access to a bale feeder.

Oats are a traditional grain fed to horses. However, horses may also be fed small amounts of other grains like corn. Some grains, such as wheat, aren't always good for horses. The seed head of grasses would be the closest thing a ​wild horse would come to eating grains in their natural environment.

Grains that are grown, harvested, and processed using modern-day methods are not natural foods for horses. It is easy to feed too much grain to horses. Grain also doesn't require a similar length of chewing time, nor does it contain the levels of silica that grass does. This can contribute to issues including ulcers and dental problems. A horse that over-eats a large amount of grain may have colic or founder.

Concentrate Mixes

Concentrates are usually a mixture of things like grains, flaxseed, beet pulp, molasses for energy and flavor, bran, vitamins and minerals, and other ingredients. Commercial mixes may have a number of ingredients in them, or some feed mills will mix concentrates to your specifications (only practical when you have a large number of horses to feed).

Concentrate mixes, like grain, help make up for any shortfall in nutrition and provide a quick source of energy. Mares in foal, nursing mares, performance, or working horses often benefit from being fed concentrates in addition to grass or hay.

Salt and Minerals

Supplements such as salt and minerals may be included in a concentrate mix or may be offered separately. A salt block or loose salt in a pasture or stall allows horses to help themselves when they have a craving. Some salt may come mixed with minerals. Some people offer free-choice minerals as well, or they may add them into the horse's grain or concentrate meal. Many people find that salt is consumed more during the summer months than in colder weather.

Many of us like to feed our horses treats. These tidbits may include things like apples, carrots, or other favorite fruits or vegetables, handfuls of grain, sugar cubes or candies, or sometimes odd things like a bite of a hot dog or boiled egg. However, it may not be advisable to feed horses meat or too many sugary treats, including fruit. Horses are herbivores, and even though a horse may not show outward signs like colic when fed meat, they may still feel some discomfort and strange foods could affect the intestinal flora.

Of course, a horse won't make the connection to the hamburger they ate an hour ago and the discomfort they're having now, so they'll probably eat any food they like over and over again. This is why it's important to feed treats in small amounts. Treats need to be considered as part of the overall feeding plan and kept to a minimum if your horse needs to watch its weight. Your horse also needs to be respectful when being fed treats.

Of course, a horse doesn't really "eat" water. However, water is an essential part of the equine diet. A horse eating pasture grass probably won't drink as much water as one on a hay-only diet. However, fresh, clean water is essential for both.

A Note About Bran

Brans, including wheat and rice bran, are not recommended as a major part of your horse's diet; they can cause mineral imbalances.

Warning

Don't be tempted to throw lawn clippings, garden refuse or compostables over the fence. All can contain plants toxic to horses.

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Feeding Your Horses to Keep Them Healthy

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Caring for horses can be tricky. Find out what a horse's natural foods are, what they should and should not eat, and how to feed horses.

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Online guided reading program with interactive ebooks, downloadable books, and reading quizzes.

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

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

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

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

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Everyday Mysteries: Why do bats live in caves?

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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This colorful, dancing arachnid is just one of the new peacock spider species that's been found in eastern Australia.
Published April 22, 2015
If you don't think of spiders as cute and cuddly, then you've never met Sparklemuffin. Scientists have identified the adorable arachnid as one of three recently discovered species of peacock spider in eastern Australia.

Less than a quarter-inch (five millimeters) long, male peacock spiders are known for their bright colors and flashy mating dance. These colors-like the vibrant red and blue of Sparklemuffin's stripes-make it easy to tell the difference between species. Many female peacock spiders, though, look alike, even to the males.

So how do peacock spiders like Sparklemuffin-a pet name given to this new species-break it down? When a female is nearby, the male begins his dance by raising the third pair of legs from his front and waving them around. Then he unfolds the flaps over his belly and waves those around. As the female comes toward him, he starts shaking and rolling his body, sending vibrations through the ground that the female can sense.

Fifty-three species of peacock spider, which are found only in Australia, have been named so far. But photographer Jürgen Otto thinks many more are waiting to be discovered. Because not many scientists are studying these spiders, he says photographers and nature lovers will probably be the ones to find new spiders. We can't wait to see what name they come up with next!
Text from "Behold Sparklemuffin and Skeletorus, New Peacock Spiders" by Carrie Arnold for National Geographic News Adapted by Rose Davidson, NGS Staff

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Read about one of three recently discovered peacock spiders in Australia.

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Scorpions are arachnids and have eight legs like their cousins—spiders, mites, and ticks. They can quickly grab an insect with their pincers and whip their telson, the poisonous tip of their tail forward and sting their prey. They use their poison to kill prey and to defend against predators. Scorpi…

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Although spiders are fearsome predators, other animals often eat them. Tarantulas have many natural enemies, including lizards, snakes, spider-eating birds, and even wasps. Though people are often afraid of tarantula bites, most species' venom is only as strong as a bee's. And remember, a tarantula would rather hide from you than bite you.

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Yep, they crawl, spin webs, and suck the blood out of their prey. But spiders do a lot of good, too! Learn all things arachnid in this BrainPOP movie.

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At the rear end of its body, a spider has special openings called spinnerets. Silk is made inside the spider's body and pushed out through the spinnerets. Spiders are famous for the webs they create, but not all spiders use their web to catch a meal.

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Scientists work on the mystery of how spiders fly

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Scientists work on the mystery of how spiders fly

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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One of the most common questions is, "What is the difference between Frogs and Toads?"

Most are surprised to hear that all Toads actually are Frogs!

Frogs

Generally speaking, though, when we think of frogs, we generally picture what are called "True Frogs"....
members of the family Ranidae, containing more than 400 species.
These frogs have the characteristics of:

two bulging eyes

strong, long, webbed hind feet that are adapted for leaping and swimming

smooth or slimy skin (generally, frogs tend to like moister environments)

Frogs tend to lay eggs in clusters.

Frogs from this family can be found on every continent except Antarctica. They are referred to as the "true frogs" because of their generalized body form and life history: the so-called generic frog.
Members of this family include the bullfrog, common frog, green frog, leopard frog, marsh frog, pickerel frog, and wood frog.

Toads

The term toads tends to refer to "True Toads"....
members of the family Bufonidae, containing more than 300 species.
These types of frogs have are characterized by:

stubby bodies with short hind legs (for walking instead of hopping)

warty and dry skin (usually preferring dryer climates)

paratoid (or poison) glands behind the eyes

The chest cartilage of toads is different also.

Toads tend to lay eggs in long chains. (There are some toads (genera Nectophrynoides), however, that are the only types of anurans to bear live young!)

True Toads can be found worldwide except in Australasia, polar regions, Madagascar, and Polynesia, though Bufo marinus has been artificially introduced into Australia and some South Pacific islands.
Besides Bufo, the family includes 25 genera, all of which, like the frogs, are anura!

Images are from the clip art archive on ftp.funet.fi.

The physical distinctions, however, can easily get blurred because sometimes the features appear mixed or less obvious, and certain species even legitimately fall into both categories. It is not uncommon, for example, to find a warty skinned frog that isn't a toad, or even a slimy toad! Even the more invisible stuff like cartilage structure has been found to sometimes fit both categories!

|
Strange but True Facts.
Back toFROGLAND.

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One of the most common questions is, "What is the difference between Frogs and Toads?" Most are surprised to hear that all Toads actually are Frogs! Frogs Generally speaking, though, when we think of frogs, we generally picture what are called "True Frogs".... members of the family Ranidae, containing more than 400 species.

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Life Cycle of a Frog

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Learn the life-cycle of amphibians, those super-adaptable creatures that include frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. Ribbit!

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A female red-eyed tree frog has laid a batch of eggs on a leaf. She chose the spot carefully-the leaf hangs over a pond.

When the eggs are ready to hatch, the tadpoles inside start swirling around vigorously. The activity breaks each egg open, releasing the little tadpoles. All the tadpoles wash down the leaf in a little stream of moisture from the hatching eggs, and-plop! plop! plop!-they land in the pond below.

Feeding on tiny insects, the tadpoles live in the water they fell into until they metamorphose, or develop, into little brown froglets. At this point they leave the water and climb up nearby trees to live as tree frogs.

By the time they're adults, the frogs have turned a striking green, with blue-and-yellow striped sides, orange or red feet, a flash of blue on their thighs, and big red eyes. The bright colors are a defense mechanism.

Being green helps the red-eyed tree frog blend in with tree leaves. If the green camouflage fails and a predator spots a sleeping frog, it swoops in for what it thinks will be a tasty meal. But the awakened frog's eyes pop open, revealing their startling bright red color!

Also, when the frog rushes to get away, it untucks its brightly colored legs. The predator is often so surprised by these sudden flashes of color that it is momentarily confused and hesitates. And while it does, the frog has a split second to make its escape!

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A female red-eyed tree frog has laid a batch of eggs on a leaf. She chose the spot carefully-the leaf hangs over a pond. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the tadpoles inside start swirling around vigorously. The activity breaks each egg open, releasing the little tadpoles.

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Bullfrogs live in freshwater ponds, lakes, and marshes. The male bullfrog’s call is deep and loud. Jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum, it calls. Some people think it sounds like a cow mooing, which is why the frog has “bull” in its name. Walking through a marsh or near a pond, you might hear a whole chorus of the…

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The Emberá of South America use the frogs' poison to coat the tips of the blow darts they use for hunting. You'll also hear poison frogs called "poison arrow frogs," but that's not accurate. The South American tribes that hunt with arrows usually coat their arrow tips with plant poisons, not frog poisons.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Get ready for an epic battle of ultimate cuteness. Which team will you be rooting for in this hilarious seabird smackdown?

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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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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.

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National Geographic TV Shows, Specials & Documentaries

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Watch full episodes, specials and documentaries with National Geographic TV channel online.

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Watch what happens when animals are caught on camera doing wacky activities! This music video series captures the funny moments animals have in their day-to-day lives.

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March of the Penguins (2/4) Movie CLIP - Life Under the Sea (2005) HD

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Not all penguins live where it's cold-African penguins live at the southern tip of Africa. Like other penguins, African penguins spend most of the day feeding in the ocean, and that helps keep them cool. Their land habitat can get quite warm, but bare skin on their legs and around their eyes helps them stay cool.

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When you think of penguins, you may picture them surrounded by snow and ice. However, there is one species of penguins that is acclimated to warmer climates. African penguins live in colonies on the coast and islands of southern Africa.

Also called jackass penguins, they make donkey-like braying sounds to communicate. They can dive under water for up to 2.5 minutes while trying to catch small fish such as anchovies and sardines. They may also eat squid and crustaceans.

The African penguin averages about 60 cm (2 ft.) tall and weighs up to 3.6 kg (8 lb.). Their short tails and flipper-like wings that help them navigate in the water, while their webbed feet help propel them.

To keep dry and insulated in cold water, African penguins are covered in dense, water-proof feathers. These feathers are white on the belly and black on the back, which aids in camouflage. Their white belly will blend with the light when predators look up at them from below, and their black backs meld with the darker seas when predators look down on them from above.

African penguins breed within their colonies; they do not travel to give birth. The penguins nest in burrows they dig out of their own excrement, called guano, or in areas under boulders or bushes. Recent removal of the guano for fertilizer has forced the penguins to change their habits and nest primarily under bushes and boulders. Their nests protect eggs and chicks from the sun and from predators like cats and seagulls. Eggs are laid in pairs and both parents help incubate them. Both parents also feed the newly-born chicks. After 2-4 years, the chicks will mature and lay their own eggs.

Conservation Status

African penguins can live for an average of 10-15 years, however many do not reach their full life span, and populations have been steadily decreasing. The loss of nesting places due to guano removal has contributed to the population decline as well as a decrease of food due to overfishing and pollution. As such, African penguins are now considered endangered by IUCN's Red List. This means there is a high risk they may become extinct.

What You Can Do to Help

If you would like to help the African penguin, you can volunteer, donate, or adopt a penguin through the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds.

African Penguin Distribution

Penguin Resources

Blog Posts about the African Penguin

About the Author

P.A. Smith is a middle school Language Arts teacher. He is also a contributing editor of My House Rabbit.

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African Penguin Facts | Jackass Penguins

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Also known as jackass penguins, African penguins make donkey-like braying sounds. Learn more interesting African penguin facts at Animal Fact Guide.

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The emperor penguin is the largest of 17 species of penguin at 1.15 m (45 in.) tall. It is also the only animal to inhabit the open ice of Antarctica during the winter.

They face wind chills as cold as -60°C (-76°F) and blizzards of 200 km/h (124 mph). Despite such harsh conditions, emperor penguins spend their entire lives on the ice or in the surrounding waters of Antarctica.

To survive in this severely frigid climate, emperor penguins are equipped with several special adaptations. Four layers of scale-like feathers protect them from icy winds and provide a waterproof coat. The penguins can store large amounts of fat which insulates their bodies while also serving as a long-lasting energy source.

They have small bills and flippers, which helps to conserve heat, and special nasal chambers that minimize the heat normally emitted through exhalation. Because their arteries and veins are situated close together, emperor penguins have the ability to recycle their own body heat. With this system, blood is cooled down on the way to the penguins' extremities and warmed up on the way back to the heart.

Emperor penguins are also specially adapted to traveling in this extreme habitat. On the ice masses, they use strong claws on their feet to help grip the surface as they shuffle along. They also slide on their sleek bellies while pushing with their feet.

At sea, emperor penguins glide through the water with great speed and agility. Their aerodynamic bodies and strong flippers make them excellent swimmers, reaching speeds of 3.4 m/s (7.6 mph). They can dive deeper than any other bird - as deep as 565 m (1850 ft.) - and they can stay under for more than 20 minutes.

Although emperor penguins are effective hunters, they are also prey to a few Antarctic animals as well. Only a third of the juvenile penguins will make it to their first birthday, falling prey to seabirds like giant petrels or skuas. In the water, both juveniles and adults are eaten by leopard seals and killer whales.

Family Life

Every winter (which begins in March in Antarctica), emperor penguins traverse up to 80 km (50 mi.) across the ice to reach stable breeding grounds. Males arrive shortly before females, ready to attract a mate with displays and courtship calls. Emperor penguins are monogamous during each breeding season, choosing only one mate. Most will find a new mate the next year, but some pairs choose to form a bond again.

Once the egg is hatched, in May or June, the female will pass the egg to the male to incubate. She will make the long voyage back to the sea to feed on krill, squid, and fish.

As there are no nesting supplies available on the ice mass, emperor penguins must create a safe, warm environment for the eggs using their own bodies. Careful to keep the egg sheltered, the male will balance the egg on his feet and cover it with a warm layer of feathered skin called a brood pouch.

In the next couple months, the male emperor penguins must cope with the worst weather conditions on earth, all the while eating nothing. To withstand the harsh winds and blizzards, the penguins huddle together in groups. They take turns moving towards the inside of the pack, where it is warmer, thereby sustaining the entire group.

Once the females arrive back at the colony, they regurgitate food for the hatchings to eat. At this time, the males can finally return to sea to fish, and the females will continue care for the chicks. After a few months, the juveniles leave the shelter of their mothers' brood pouches and stay in chick groups called crèches. This allows the females to go fish.

In December, the weather warms in Antarctica, breaking up the outer ice and bringing the sea closer to the nesting sites. When the young penguins reach the water, they are nearly done with their moult, and they're ready to swim and fish on their own. Adult penguins begin their yearly moult once separated from their offspring. They store up body fat beforehand because it takes a lot of energy to replace all their feathers, and they are unable to fish because they lack waterproof protection. By January, the new plumage has grown in, and the hungry penguins take to the waters in groups to forage for the summer.

Conservation Status

According to the IUCN Red List, emperor penguins are considered near threatened. They currently have a large range and they live on average 15-20 years in the wild. However, emperor penguins face several threats due to human activity. Rising temperatures due to global warming will reduce emperor penguin breeding grounds and overfishing will limit their source of food. It is projected that their population will decline rapidly over the next three generations as a result of climate change.

Further, studies have shown the appearance of Infectious Bursal Disease Virus (IBDV) antibodies in emperor penguin chicks. IBDV is a highly contagious poultry disease that was most likely brought to Antarctica via humans exposed to infected birds. More studies are currently being conducted to measure the effect of the disease on emperor penguin populations.

What You Can Do to Help

If you would like to help emperor penguins, you can reduce carbon emissions which lead to global warming. Some measures include walking, biking or taking public transportation instead of driving, using energy saver appliances and light bulbs, buying locally grown produce, reducing your consumption of manufactured goods and packaging, recycling, and more. To learn more tips, see StopGlobalWarming.org.

You can also donate to charities to help preserve emperor penguin habitat or adopt a penguin through WWF.

Emperor Penguin Distribution

Emperor Penguin Resources

Blog Posts about the Emperor Penguin

About the Author

Abi Cushman is a contributing editor of Animal Fact Guide and My House Rabbit. When she's not writing about weird animal facts, Abi writes and illustrates funny books for kids. Her picture books, and Animals Go Vroom!, are available now from Viking Children's Books.

To learn more and to download free activity sheets, visit www.abicushman.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AbiCushman and on Instagram at @Abi.Cushman.

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Emperor Penguin Facts for Kids | Penguins Information

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Did you know emperor penguins can dive deeper than any other bird and can stay under water for more than 20 minutes? Learn more at Animal Fact Guide!

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Scientists study photos from space and see penguin poop

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Scientists study photos from space and see penguin poop

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Come learn cool and interesting facts about sharks in this educational video! Where do sharks live? What do sharks eat? How many different…

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The largest Shark known right now!

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Discover The Great White Shark Habitat Map | SEEtheWILD

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A simplified map that helps you learn about the Great White Shark Habitat across all the oceans, including prime breeding grounds.

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Sharks & Rays

Sharks have played a vital role in maintaining healthy oceans for hundreds of millions of years as a top predator. More than 450 species of sharks cruise the world's oceans, ranging in size from 8 inches to a whopping 40 feet long. But today, nearly one in four sharks and their relatives are threatened with extinction. A major cause is the demand for shark fins. Every year, fins from as many as 73 million sharks end up in the global fin trade.

Learn fun facts and how you can help your favorite sharks - from great white sharks to hammerhead sharks - by clicking a species below.

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Sharks & Rays Sharks have played a vital role in maintaining healthy oceans for hundreds of millions of years as a top predator. More than 450 species of sharks cruise the world's oceans, ranging in size from 8 inches to a whopping 40 feet long.

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

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

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

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Sharks are a superorder of fish called the Selachimorpha. They, like other Chondrichthyes, have skeletons made of cartilage instead of bone. Cartilage is tough, rubbery material which is less rigid than bone. Cartilaginous fish also include skates and rays.

There are more than 350 different kinds of sharks, such as the great white and whale sharks. Fossils show that sharks have been around for 420 million years, since the early Silurian.

Most sharks are predators, meaning they hunt and eat fish, marine mammals, and other sea creatures. However, the largest shark eats krill, like whales. This is the whale shark, the largest fish in the world. Some common kinds of shark include the hammerhead shark, the great white shark, the tiger shark, and the mako shark.

Characteristics

Sharks come in many different shapes and sizes, but most are long and thin (also called streamlined), with powerful jaws. Their teeth are constantly replaced throughout their lives. Sharks eat so violently they often break a few teeth, so new teeth grow continuously in a groove just inside the mouth and move forward from inside the mouth on "conveyor belts" formed by the skin in which they are attached to. In its lifetime, a shark can lose and regrow as many as 30,000 teeth.

Even with all those teeth, though, sharks can not chew. So they bite their prey and jerk it around so they can pull of a chunk to swallow. The chunks of food that a shark swallows ends up in its stomach, where they are digested. This is pretty slow, however, so a meal might take several days to digest. This is why a shark does not eat every day.

Sharks have different-shaped teeth, depending on what they eat. For instance, some sharks have sharp, pointy teeth, while bottom dwelling sharks have cone-shaped teeth for crushing shells. Because there are so many different kinds of sharks, and because each kind has its own kind of special teeth, many people enjoy collecting shark teeth. Shark teeth collectors can guess how large a shark was by measuring the shark tooth! First, they measure the length of the tooth in inches. Every inch of tooth equals 10ft of shark length: so if a shark tooth is 2 inches long, the tooth came from a shark that was 20 ft long! Even more terrifying is that some of the teeth are 6 inches long so that suggets a shark 60 feet long.

Sharks have skin covered in millions of tiny teeth-like scales that point to the tail. If you rub along a shark towards the tail, it would feel smooth, but if you rub the other way, it would be rough. Sharks' teeth can be 20 times as big as human teeth and they can grow back if they are lost.

The fins of sharks are used for stabilizing, steering, lift and swimming. Each fin is used in a different manner.

There are one or two fins present along the dorsal midline called the first and second dorsal fin. These fins help the shark from constantly rolling around. These two fins may, or may not have spines. When spines are present, they are used for defensive purposes, and may also have skin glands with them that produce an irritating substance.

The pectoral fins are located behind the head and extend outwards. These fins are used for steering during swimming and help to provide the shark with lift.

The pelvic fins are located behind the pectoral fins, near the claoca, and are also stabilizers.

Not all sharks have anal fins, but if they do have them, they are found between the pelvic and caudal fins.

The tail region itself consists of the caudal peduncle and the caudal fin. The caudal peduncle sometimes has notches known as "precaudal pits", which are found just ahead of the caudal fin. The peduncle may also be horizontally flattened into lateral keels. The caudal fin has both, an upper lobe, and a lower lobe, that can be of different sizes and the shape depends of which species the shark is. The primary use of the caudal fin is to provide a "push" while the shark swims. The upper lobe of the caudal fin produces the most amount of the push, and usually forces the shark downwards. The pectoral fins and the shape of the body (like an airfoil) work together to counter this force. The strong, non-lunate caudal fin in most benthic shark species allows the shark to swim close to the seabed (such as the Nurse shark). However, the fastest swimming sharks (such as the Mako sharks) tend to have lunate-shaped (crescent-shaped) caudal fins.

Sharks have keen olfactory sense organs in the short duct between the front and back nasal openings. They can detect blood from miles away: as little as one part per million of blood in sea water may be enough.

Sharks have the ability to determine the direction of a given scent based on the timing of scent detection in each nostril. This is similar to the method mammals use to determine direction of sound.

They are more attracted to the chemicals found in the intestines of many species, and as a result often linger near or in sewage outfalls. Some species, such as nurse sharks, have external barbels that greatly increase their ability to sense prey.

Shark eyes are similar to the eyes of other vertebrates, including similar lenses, corneas and retinas. Their eyesight is well adapted to the marine environment. They can contract and dilate their pupils, like humans, something no teleost fish can do. A tissue behind the retina reflects light back, thereby increasing sight in darker waters.

Sensing electric current

Sharks have tiny holes all over the shark's snout, especially between the eye and the tip of the snout. In them are which are nerve receptors called the ampullae of Lorenzini. p23 They can sense electricity in the water. Animal in the water give off electricity: every time an animal's heart beats or it moves, tiny currents of electricity are made. These tiny electric currents make signals that travel through water and get sensed. Sharks may use this sense when they catch their prey, even more than they use their sight.

Although it is hard to test sharks' hearing, they may have a sharp sense of hearing and can possibly hear prey many miles away. A small opening on each side of their heads (not the spiracle) leads directly into the inner ear through a thin channel.

Lateral line

The lateral line detects changes in water pressure. It is open to the environment by a line of pores. This and the sound-detecting organs are grouped together as the 'acoustico-lateralis system', because they have a common origin. In bony fish and tetrapods the external opening into the inner ear has been lost.

This system is found in other fish as well. It detects motion or vibrations in water. The shark can sense frequencies in the range of 25 to 50 Hz.

Prehistoric sharks

Because sharks have skeletons made of cartilage, they do not fossilize easily. That's because cartilage is softer than bone and falls apart before fossilizing. However, teeth are harder, and if that is not enough, they are shed throughout a shark's lifetime. Therefore, shark teeth are one of the most common fossils.

Sharks existed for at least two hundred million years before the dinosaurs. The earliest shark fossils were scales, so could it be that the earliest sharks were toothless? We are not sure. Early sharks did not look like sharks of today. For example, the upper snout of modern sharks is longer than the lower jaw. But in early sharks, they were the same length.

The first modern-looking sharks appeared in the Age of Dinosaurs. Sharks back then were preyed on by giant sea reptiles.

Just a few million years ago, a giant shark called swam in the seas. It was 18 meters long, twice as long as the closely-related great white shark, and it ate whales. Megalodon died out 1.6 million years ago.

Reproduction

About 70% of all known shark species give birth to live young, with the gestation period lasting from 6 to 22 months.

Pups are born with a full set of teeth, and are capable of taking care of themselves. Once born, they quickly swim away from their mothers, who sometimes feed on the pups. Litters vary from one or two pups ( Great white shark) to one hundred pups ( Blue shark and Whale shark).

Some sharks are oviparous, laying their eggs in the water. Shark eggs (sometimes called "mermaid's purses") are covered by a tough, leathery membrane. The egg has a yolk that feeds the embryo, very much like a chicken egg.

Ovoviviparity

Most sharks are ovoviviparous, meaning the eggs hatch inside the female's body, with the babies developing within the mother, but there is no placenta to nourish the pups. Instead the young feed on the egg's yolk. The pups eat any unfertilized eggs and sometimes each other. Very few pups in a litter survive until birth due to this form of sibling cannibalism. Great white sharks, Mako sharks, Nurse sharks, Tiger sharks, and Sand tiger sharks reproduce this way.

Viviparity

Some sharks are viviparous, meaning that the females give live birth: the eggs hatch inside the female's body, and the babies are fed by a placenta. The placenta helps transfer nutrients and oxygen from the mother's bloodstream and transfers waste products from the baby to the mother for elimination. Examples of viviparous sharks include the Bull sharks, the Whitetip reef sharks, the Lemon sharks, the Blue sharks, the Silvertip sharks, and the Hammerhead sharks. Although long thought to be oviparous, Whale sharks are viviparous, and pregnant females have been found containing hundreds of pups.

New shark discoveries

New sharks are still being found. Dave Ebert has found ten new species in a Taiwan market alone. Over the past three decades he has named 24 new species. They include sharks, rays, sawfish and ghost sharks - these cartilaginous fish are all related.

Some sharks are not endangered, but some are hunted for food (like shark fin soup) or sport fishing. In 2013 five species of shark, along with two species of manta ray, received international protection as part of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.

It is estimated that 100 million sharks are killed by commercial and recreational fishing. Sharks are a common seafood in many places, including Japan and Australia.

In the Australian state of Victoria, shark is the most commonly used fish in fish and chips, in which fillets are battered and deep-fried or crumbed and grilled. In fish and chip shops, shark is called "flake".

In India, small sharks or baby sharks (called sora in Tamil language, Telugu language) are sold in local markets. Since the flesh is not developed, cooking the flesh breaks it into powder, which is then fried in oil and spices (called sora puttu/sora poratu). The soft bones can be easily chewed. They are considered a delicacy in coastal Tamil Nadu.

Related Pages

Images for kids

Fossil shark tooth (size over 9 cm or 3.5 inches) with crown, shoulder, root and root lobe

in}} egg case adjacent to ruler, the egg case is a brown ovalish shape, with a spiral band running around it from top to bottom.

Snorkeler swims near a blacktip reef shark. In rare circumstances involving poor visibility, blacktips may bite a human, mistaking it for prey. Under normal conditions they are harmless and shy.

In Spanish: Selachimorpha para niños

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

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

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Leopard sharks inhabit a narrow band of ocean and inlet areas in the Pacific Ocean between Oregon and the Gulf of Mexico. They are some of the most common sharks found along the coast of California. These sharks have dark, saddle-shaped splotches along the fins and upper body.

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Few creatures strike more fear in humans than the great white shark. In reality, great white shark attacks on humans are rare - and it is even rarer for one of these attacks to be fatal. However, the size of the great white shark and its efficiency as a predator add to the perpetuation of this unnecessary fear.

The great white shark averages 4.5 m (15 ft.) in length, but some have been recorded as large as 6 m (20 ft.) long! They generally weigh up to 2250 kg (5000 lb.).

Great white sharks are blue-gray on the dorsal, or top, part of their bodies. This helps them blend in with the bottom of the ocean when viewed from above. The belly, or ventral, part of the body, is white. This makes it difficult to see the sharks from below, with sunlight shining in around them. They have strong, torpedo-shaped bodies and powerful tails that help them swim. Great whites can reach speeds up to 24 km/hr (15 mph).

Great whites use their speed and coloring to help them hunt. They search for prey at the surface of the ocean while swimming below. Once they spot a target, they use a burst of speed to bump their prey while simultaneously biting it. They have several rows of teeth that can number into the thousands. As teeth fall out, they are rapidly replaced by those in the row behind them. These sharp, serrated teeth can be devastating. A single, large bite can be fatal.

When great white sharks are young, they feed on smaller prey, like fish and rays. As they grow larger, they feed more exclusively on marine mammals, such as sea lions, seals and small whales.

The great white is at the top of the food chain and has few threats in the ocean. Only orcas and larger sharks can pose a risk. The only other risk to the great white shark is human interaction. They are sometimes caught by accident in fishing nets or intentionally sought out by sport fisherman. Their jaws and fins are sold for considerable amounts of money.

Not much is known about the mating habits of great white sharks. What is known is that after mating the female develops several eggs which hatch in her womb. The newly-hatched shark pups feed on unfertilized eggs in the womb as they develop before being born. In general, the mother gives birth to a litter of two to ten pups, each of which average 1.5 m (5 ft.) in length. Male great whites reach maturity at 9-10 years of age. Females mature even later, between 14 and 16 years of age. Female sharks are thought to give birth once every couple years, but even that is uncertain.

Great whites spend their time in temperate waters all over the world, although they have been known to make brief trips into colder water in the north. They live in the upper part of the ocean, towards the surface, and close to the shore, where sunlight shines through and prey is available.

Conservation Status

The great white shark is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, but it is on the cusp of being labeled endangered due to overfishing.

What You Can Do to Help

You can help great white sharks by not purchasing great white jaws or items made from their fins.

Great White Shark Distribution

Great White Shark Resources

Blog Posts about the Great White Shark

About the Author

P.A. Smith is a middle school Language Arts teacher. He is also a contributing editor of My House Rabbit.

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Great white sharks have several rows of sharp, serrated teeth that can number into the thousands. Learn more about great whites at Animal Fact Guide.

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Newsela | Lemon sharks return to their birthplace to give birth

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Lemon sharks are the only known shark species that returns to the place of their birth, about 15 years later, to have fully developed live pups instead of hatched eggs.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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

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ReadWorks article - "Wise Old Whales"

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ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

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ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America's reading comprehension crisis.

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What are blue whales? Find out about the largest mammal on earth that lives in the ocean.

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With sleek black backs and bright white bellies and eye patches, killer whales, or orcas, are easily distinguishable from other aquatic animals.

One of the ocean's largest predators, male orcas can grow to 9.5 m (32 ft) in length, while females are slightly smaller at 8 m (23 ft). They live primarily where the water is cold but can live anywhere from the polar regions right up to the equator. This massive range makes orcas the most widespread of all sea creatures.

True to their name, killer whales are effective hunters. They prey on seals, sea lions, fish, sea birds, turtles, octopuses, and squid. Orcas will even attack other whales, including the enormous blue whale which can measure over three times their size. They have also been known to breach the surface to grab sea lions and seals, even partially jumping onto ice floes to reach their target.

Killer whales hunt in pods, or groups, in a way similar to wolves. They circle their prey and force them into smaller areas before attacking. Once cornered, the orcas take turns biting and ramming their prey.

Sending sound waves that travel underwater, killer whales use echolocation as a means for hunting. The reverberating sound provides information about an object's location, size, and shape. Echolocation is also used as a form of communication. Each pod has a distinctive sound it uses to communicate among its members.

There are thought to be three types of pods: transient, resident, and offshore. Transient pods are constantly on the move following food sources. Resident pods generally stay in one area close to shore, while offshore orcas prefer the open waters. Currently, scientists are not clear as to why there are contrasting pod behaviors. Some believe it is because there are actually several species of orca, but more research must be conducted in order to test that theory.

In resident pods, killer whales of both genders will live with their mothers for their entire lives, forming matrilines. In this way, resident pods consist of very tight, stable bonds and can comprise of 10-50 whales. Offshore pods are also large, made up of 30-60 whales. Transient pods, on the other hand, tend to be smaller (around 2-5 whales), as offspring will generally leave the group when a sibling is born.

When females reach 6-10 years old, they are ready to bear young. Males need to be older to breed, roughly around 10-13 years of age.

Mating can take place at any time of year and only occurs between members of different pods to avoid interbreeding. After 17 months of gestation, calves are born in the water tail first. Female orcas can give birth every 3-10 years.

Newborns are very carefully protected within the pod. Often younger females will help new mothers protect their calves. Killer whales are also known to shelter injured or ill members of their pod from danger.

Conservation Status

At present killer whales are not endangered. They have not been widely hunted by humans but are susceptible to some of the same threats as other marine mammals, including pollution, overfishing of their prey, and habitat infringement. They live an average of 30 to 50 years in the wild.

What You Can Do to Help

You can help orcas by spreading awareness about their special abilities to hunt, communicate, and live cooperatively. Write to your legislator about preserving their ocean habitat and keeping it free from pollution.

Orca Range

Orca Resources

Blog Posts about the Killer Whale

About the Author

P.A. Smith is a middle school Language Arts teacher. He is also a contributing editor of My House Rabbit.

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Killer Whale Facts | Orca Facts for Kids

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Orcas, also known as killer whales, use echolocation to communicate with other members of their pod. Learn more orca facts at Animal Fact Guide!

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17 Foot Python Found In Florida

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Scientists just captured a record 17-foot-long python in Florida | CNN

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The record-setting female python, found in Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve, was 17 feet long, weighed 140 pounds - and most scarily - held 73 developing eggs.

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

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

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

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

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THEY "HEAR" WITH THEIR JAW.

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

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

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There are more than 3,000 species of snakes in the world and there is at least one type of snake on every continent except Antarctica.

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THEY "HEAR" WITH THEIR JAW.

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

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

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The winters in this viper's habitat have many days of freezing temperatures. As colder days approach, Mang Mountain pit vipers crawl into caves and under rock ledges. Scientists have found that the snakes that go the deepest have the best chance of surviving until spring.

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Pythons don't chase after their dinner. They are ambush hunters that can locate warm-blooded animals by using heat-sensing "pits" or holes along their jaw. They wait until the animal comes close, then a python grabs the prey with its sharp, backward-curving teeth, wraps coils of its body around the prey, and squeezes tight.

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There are a few kinds of anacondas, but the green anaconda is the big one. Weighing up to 550 pounds, it holds the record for heaviest snake in the world. If you measured around the middle of an anaconda's body, it could be up to 12 inches around-measure your thigh to compare.

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Watch for free your favorite PBS KIDS shows like Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Wild Kratts, Odd Squad, and Sesame Street.