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Dragonflies may have hovered and hunted across the planet for the last 325m years, but their modern relatives are staring extinction in the face. Experts warn that one-third of British species are now under threat, a plight that today sees the opening of the UK's first ever dragonfly centre to celebrate and protect one of the country's most fascinating insects.

Located at Wicken Fen nature reserve in Cambridgeshire, the new centre hopes to reverse the decline of the 42 species found regularly in the UK. Conservationists blame the decline on the loss of wetlands, and pesticides and insecticides drifting from farmland.

Springwatch presenter Chris Packham, who opened the centre today, said: "The loss of wetland habitat throughout the UK is having a massive impact on the long-term survival prospects for many dragonfly species." He warned that three British species have already become extinct since the 1960s.

Dragonflies spend much of their lives underwater as larva "nymphs", and when the winged adult finally emerges its flying lifetime is comparatively short, ranging from just weeks for small species to a few years for the largest. They are a key indicator of water quality and a valuable natural predator of mosquitoes and midges.

Some British species are faring worse than others. White-faced darters have seen a signifcant loss and drying out of the bog pools where they live, while the Norfolk hawker's limited distribution - mostly in the Norfolk Broads - has left it vulnerable to sea level rises and salt water infiltration.

As well as pressure from the historic loss of East Anglian fens, many of which have been drained and converted to farmland, British dragonflies and their prey are at risk from insecticides and pesticides. Vicky Kindemba, freshwater officer at conservation charity Buglife, said: "Different chemicals affect invertebates differently, but one we know about is permethrin - used to treat wood and animals to remove fleas and woodworm - which can affect dragonflies when it finds its way into the water course." Chemicals reaching rivers and streams from agricultural run-off can disrupt dragonfly breeding patterns - reducing the number of eggs, for example.

There are signs that increasingly conservation-conscious farmers are aware of the problem. David Felce, who runs Midloe Grange Farm near the site of the new dragonfly centre, said: "We have several types of dragonfly on the farm, including blue emperors and brown hawkers, which we've protected by building grass buffer zones near our seven ponds and water courses. As well as acting as a failsafe to keep insecticides away from dragonflies and other insects, the grass is a habitat for wildlife in its own right."

Dragonflies are doing better this year compared to 2008, according to anecdotal evidence from naturalists at the British Dragonfly Society. "We think it's due to the sustained wet weather during late spring and early summer last year," said Katharine Parkes, a spokesperson for the society. "This year, although we've still had wet weather, it's been showery rather than sustained, and dragonflies are very good at making the most of sunny intervals."

However, long-term records are required to establish an accurate picture of dragonfly health, and the data collected by naturalists from 1986 to 2005 shows a third of British species are now classified as endangered, vulnerable or near-threatened under official Red List criteria.

Wicken Fen, where the dragonfly centre opened today, is one of the few bright spots for dragonflies and home to 21 of Britain's species. Stuart Warrington, the National Trust's Nature Conservation Advisor for the East of England, said: "Dragonflies symbolise the importance of Wicken Fen and our ambitious project to create a 22 square mile nature reserve. Work to develop good quality habitats for dragonflies, such as clean ditches and ponds, has led to successful breeding of all the species found at Wicken and on the land surrounding the fen."

The new centre, staffed by volunteers, will give visitors access to educational displays, advanced courses on species identification and guided "safaris" to see the fen's darting inhabitants, from the emperor dragonfly to the hairy dragonfly.

Dragonflies: fast facts

* There are more species in the dragonfly family than there are species of mammals

* The wings of a dragonfly beat at up to 35 times a second

* The insects can fly forwards and backwards at up to 18mph

* The eyes of a dragonfly cover a field of vision close to 360°

* The largest species have been known to fly across the Atlantic Ocean

* Dragonflies don't sting humans

* This article was amended on 28 July 2009. Due to editing changes, the original said that the dragonfly family "has more species than any other mammal". This has been corrected.
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Dragonflies in danger of extinction seek sanctuary at new rescue centre

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Dragonflies may have hovered and hunted across the planet for the last 325m years, but their modern relatives are staring extinction in the face. Experts warn that one-third of British species are now under threat, a plight that today sees the opening of the UK's first ever dragonfly centre to celebrate and protect one of the country's most fascinating insects.

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Rabbit Adaptations to Fit them For Survival

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Rabbits are prey animals but in spite of their tiny frame they have survived centuries and are found in different parts of the world. Find out here what are the rabbit adaptations that help this creature survive.

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Status: Vulnerable

Known as: Great White Shark, White Shark, Great White, White Death, White Pointer.

Estimated numbers left in the wild: Unknown, though possibly less than 3,500.

Description

The great white shark is a large oceanic apex predator, measuring up to 6 meters long and weighing as much as 2,270 kilograms. The average specimen is more likely to be 4.6 meters long, however. Great white sharks are efficient predators, with powerful jaws and around 300 serrated teeth which can chop off a huge chunk of whatever they bite. Great whites do not deliberately prey on humans but may take a "sample bite" in passing. Mostly, they eat seals, sea turtles, fish, and seabirds.

Hunting and feeding: The senses of great white sharks are extremely keen. This helps them find their prey, since these sharks need to locate enough food to keep them alive in the vastness of the ocean. Their ability to smell blood has become legendary, and with reason - a great white can detect one drop of blood in 100 liters of water, and can smell larger concentrations of blood from up to 5 kilometers away. Another sense at their disposal allows them to pick up the electrical field of a living creature and pinpoint their prey in this way.

Great white sharks are amazingly adapted to their habitat and can leap clear of the water in search of prey - a maneuver called "breaching". This allows them to snatch seals, seabirds flying low over the water, and fish that attempt to escape by jumping clear of the surface. The torpedo like body of a great white makes it a quick swimmer, reaching speeds of 24 kilometers per hour. These sharks give birth to live young known as pups. Their slow rate of reproduction is necessary for their large size and metabolic rate, but hampers efforts at recovery.

Location: Great white sharks are found around the whole globe, though they avoid Arctic and Antarctic waters. These sharks live in coastal waters where the water temperature ranges from 12 to 24 C. However, there are also enough sightings of great whites deep in the open ocean to suggest that it is not just a coastal species. They also appear to migrate, though the reasons are unknown.

Conservation

Threats: Human hostility is the chief threat to the great white shark, including hunting for meat and trophies as well as "revenge killings" following a well-publicized shark attack or even a shark attack movie. Fishing for great white sharks is usually carried out by individual shark fishermen rather than on a commercial scale, with the edible fins being one target of the fishing and trophies such as the teeth or jaws being another. Since sharks put up a good fight and there is a slight whiff of danger to the fishing, the excitement of the sport is also a lure. Sharks are also caught and killed accidentally in fishing nets, especially gill nets. Exactly how rare they are is a matter of debate, but their populations are clearly declining.

Conservation efforts: Many conservation organizations focused on the great white shark are now active, such as the White Shark Trust and others. These organizations promote protection measures for sharks and also educate the public about these large marine predators. Many conservation efforts focus on making people less hostile to sharks and building an understanding of their role in nature.

Great White Shark Videos

The Dyer Island Conservation Trust works to protect the marine eco-system around the Western Cape in South Africa and a number of marine animals and birds in the area.

Monterey Bay Aquarium conducts research projects and tagging to study migration, habitats, diets, populations and protect different marine species like the Great White Sharks.

Organisations

Oceana is the largest international organization focused only on ocean conservation, protecting marine ecosystems and endangered species such as the Great White Shark.

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Great White Shark - Our Endangered World

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Status: Vulnerable Known as: Great White Shark, White Shark, Great White, White Death, White Pointer. Estimated numbers left in the wild: Unknown, though possibly less than 3,500. Description The great white shark is a large oceanic apex predator, measuring up to 6 meters long and weighing as much as 2,270 kilograms. The average specimen is more likely to be 4.6 meters long, however.

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Why The Great White Shark Is Endangered? - Shark Facts and Information

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Facts and questions about sharks. Why The Great White Shark Is Endangered?

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The Antarctic, one of the planet's last unspoilt ecosystems, is under threat from mankind's insatiable appetite for harvesting the seas.

The population of krill, a tiny crustacean, is in danger from the growing demand for health supplements and food for fish farms. Global warming has already been blamed for a dramatic fall in numbers because the ice that is home to the algae and plankton they feed on is melting. Now 'suction' harvesting which gathers up vast quantities has been introduced to meet the increased demand. It threatens not just krill, but the entire ecosystem that depends on them, say environmental campaigners. Krill are also believed to be important in removing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide by eating carbon-rich food near the surface and excreting it when they sink to lower, colder water to escape predators.

'Whales, penguins, seals, albatrosses and petrels - all those creatures we think are absolute icons of Antarctica - depend on krill,' said Richard Page, a marine reserves expert with Greenpeace International. 'It's part of the global commons, and one of the most pristine environments on Earth. That's why we should treat it with the greatest of respect.'

However, scientists say they are monitoring the fishing but so far the total catch is a small proportion of the population.

'We're aware of this fishing effort gearing up and we're not particularly concerned at the moment,' said Dr Geraint Tarling, head of ecosystem dynamics at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS). 'When people get close to the allowable catches we'd be concerned, but at the moment it's nowhere near.'

The eerie-looking Antarctic krill, with their translucent reddish bodies and black eyes, are thought to be one of the largest aggregations of marine life on the planet. Each creature weighs little more than a large paperclip; but taken together teeming shoals, which can measure kilometres across, are thought to weigh more than the human population.

Scientists believe krill have declined by 80 per cent since the 1970s, and the most likely cause is global warming. There is uncertainty, though, about the remaining population: the BAS estimates 100 million tonnes; krill harvesting companies claim about 400-500 million tonnes. Under the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, the annual allowed krill catch in the Southern Ocean is 4 million tonnes. But until now there has been 'huge under-fishing', usually less than 20 per cent of that quota, said Tarling.

But there is growing interest and new products being developed. Most krill fished are used as fish-farm feed and to produce Omega 3 oil and other health supplements. Last month alone, the Antarctic Krill Conservation Project reported four firms planning to expand operations. New on-board processing and fast-freezing technology are enabling ships to take bigger catches.

However, Helge Midttun, chief executive of Norwegian-based processor Aker BioMarine, said they were careful not to damage krill stocks, including developing a net around their suction system to stop other species being harvested. 'It's in our interests that these fisheries are taking place in a way that's not destroying the environment,' said Midttun.

But Page warns: 'What we don't want to do is what we have done in pretty much every fishery in the world. We thought the natural resources of the sea were unlimited; we have proved time and time again that's not the case.'

· For a green guide to which fish to avoid: theguardian.com/environment/fishing

A crucial species

· Krill live in all the world's oceans, but Antarctic krill are the most numerous, with an estimated population of up to 500 million tonnes.

· Antarctic krill grow to 6cm. If they were all put together they could fill Wembley football stadium 1,500 times.

· Krill eat algae and plankton and are eaten by predators such as whales. One whale can eat four tonnes of krill a day.

· Krill are thought to 'sequester' carbon equivalent to the emissions of 35 million cars a year.

· Average Antarctic Peninsula temperatures have risen 2.5C in the last 50 years.

Sources: British Antarctic Survey; Antarctic Krill Conservation Project
Topics

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The Antarctic, one of the planet's last unspoilt ecosystems, is under threat from mankind's insatiable appetite for harvesting the seas. The population of krill, a tiny crustacean, is in danger from the growing demand for health supplements and food for fish farms. Global warming has already been blamed for a dramatic fall in numbers because the ice that is home to the algae and plankton they feed on is melting.

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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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Dragonfly Facts for Kids | Sciencewithkids.com

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These facts about dragonflies will help teach kids about one of the fastest insects on earth.

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There are lots of fun and interesting facts about dragonflies. Some facts about dragonflies are scientifically proven facts and some are actually myths about dragonflies that have been around for as long as hundreds of years. Can you tell the difference between the myths and the facts about dragonflies?

1. A bee flaps its wings about 300 times per second, but a dragonfly flaps its wings at only about 30 beats per second. (fact, dragonflies have two sets of wings so they don't have to beat them as much to fly.)

2. A dragonfly is a very strong and good flyer, and can fly at speeds of up to 36 miles per hour. (fact, but not all dragonflies are that fast - one was clocked at this speed in Australia)

3. Dragonflies are known as snake doctors because they can bring dead snakes back to life. (myth)

4. There were huge dinosaur dragonflies that lived 300 million years ago. (fact - the largest fossil found had a 2 ½ foot wingspan, and currently there are dragonflies in Costa Rica that measure 7 ½ inches across the wings.)

5. Dragonflies have huge stingers and some people are allergic to their stings and can die. (myth - the thing that looks like a stinger on a dragonfly is actually called a clasper and the male dragonfly uses it to hold onto the female when they are mating.)

6. There are about 5,000 different species of dragonflies all over the world except in Antarctica. 450 of the species can be found in the United States and about 80 species in British Columbia. (fact, most of the 5,000 species are found in remote, tropical areas.)

7. A dragonfly's eyes have about 30,000 lenses and a dragonfly can see all the way around it, but they don't see details very well. (fact, a human eye only has one lens and sees better than a dragonfly, but only to the front and side of them.)

8. From the time a dragonfly egg hatches, it can live anywhere from six months to six years, but only about two months as an actual dragonfly. (fact, most of the time spent is as a nymph in the water before the dragonfly's metamorphosis into a full grown dragonfly.)

9. In the old days, dragonflies would seek out bad kids and sew their mouths together with their claspers while they slept. Dragonflies were known as the devil's darning needles. (myth - dragonflies don't have pockets to carry the thread to the beds of sleeping wicked children.)

10. A dragonfly's scientific name is Odonta, which comes from the words "tooth-jawed" because the entomologist (insect scientist), Johann Christian Fabricius, who named them studied the dragonflies' mouths in order to distinguish the different species. Now their wings are studied as well to classify dragonflies. (fact - other names for dragonflies around the world are water dipper in England, old glassy in China, and the ancient Celts called dragonflies big needle of wings.)

Our articles are free for you to copy and distribute. Make sure to give www.learnaboutnature.com credit for the article.

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Fun Dragonfly Facts to Amaze Your Friends!

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There are lots of fun and interesting facts about dragonflies. Some facts about dragonflies are scientifically proven facts and some are actually myths about dragonflies that have been around for as long as hundreds of years. Can you tell the difference between the myths and the facts about dragonflies?

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Kids learn about the Dragonfly, fast flying acrobatic insects of many colors that eat mosquitoes.

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Of all the wild animals in the United States, rabbits are one of the most common. Cottontail rabbits, with their soft brown fur and white fluffy tails, are found in almost every state. They live in woods, grassy fields, near farms and even in neighborhoods.

Rabbits and hares aren't the same thing. Hares have longer ears than rabbits and longer legs. They don't live in underground dens. Hare babies are born with hair; rabbit babies are born naked.

Fun Facts about Rabbits for Kids

In the summer, rabbits eat grass, wild strawberries, garden vegetables and some flowers. In the winter, they survive on woody stems and even the bark of some trees.

Rabbits are most active at sunset and at dawn. During the day, they hide under bushes, logs or even old sheds. Remember Peter the Rabbit hiding from Mr. McGregor? When rabbits are scared, they freeze and scrunch down to hide.

Rabbits build underground burrows to live in. The burrows have tunnels and a large room.

Rabbits start having babies when they're one year old. Rabbits can have as many as 25 babies in one year. Wow! That's a busy mama!

Rabbits make nests for their babies under bushes or sheds or even old compost piles. Be careful when you're digging around in the spring. You just might find a rabbit's nest.

Baby rabbits stay with their moms for only two weeks. Then they fend for themselves.

Rabbit Vocabulary

Learn More All About Rabbits

Watch this cute video about wild rabbits:

A video about wild rabbit behaviors.

Rabbit Q&A

Question: How do rabbits escape predators?

Answer: Sometimes they hide in the grass, or they run in a zig zag pattern. Rabbits are constantly on the lookout for trouble.

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Question: Do orphaned baby rabbits need help?

Answer: Mother rabbits leave their babies during the day so the babies probably aren't really orphaned. Stretch a piece of string over the nest and check it again the next day. If the string was moved, mom is still around. If you have to chase a baby rabbit to catch it, it is old enough to fend for itself.

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

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Of all the wild animals in the United States, rabbits are one of the most common. Cottontail rabbits, with their soft brown fur and white fluffy tails, are found in almost every state. They live in woods, grassy fields, near farms and even in neighborhoods. Rabbits and hares aren't the same thing.

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Here are some of the rarely known rabbit facts for kids including rabbits diet, habitat, reproduction and different types. Rabbits are the small mammals that belong to the family of Leporidae with the order Lagomorpha. These animals are widely found in different parts of the world.

Rabbits are classified into eight different genera including cottontail rabbits, Amami rabbits, and European rabbits. These animals are listed as endangered species. Some other species that fall under the same order are hares and pikas. The male us known as buck while the female is denoted by doe.

The juveniles are called kit or kitten. Rabbits are vigilant in that they constantly look out the threats or predators nearby with the help of their sensitive ears. They are not one of those animals that feed on grass by putting their heads down all the time.

Some of the most common predators of rabbits are red foxes, Iberian Lynxes, and badgers. This is particularly true in case of rabbits living in Mediterranean Europe.

When threats are nearby, rabbits tend to alert their fellow rabbits in the warren with potential predators. They have successfully developed an amazing field of vision. Thanks to the zig-zag movements haphazard rabbit's running which makes it not an easy to prey to catch.

While they hop around to get rid of their predators, rabbits, when caught can also kick with their rear legs. These mammals also employ their teeth as a strong defense. Now let's check out some of the most notable and rarely known facts about rabbits for kids.

Rabbit Facts For Kids

The rabbit's ears are measured at 10 cm (4 inches) by length. These ears aid them in locating potential predators.

They have large, sturdy and rear legs. There are 5 toes affixed to the two front paws. The rear feet have 4 toes.

Rabbits mostly move and run onto their toes presuming a more digitigrade form. There is no significant difference in the rabbits' body proportions and size.

The size of the rabbits may range from 20 cm (8 inches) by length, while the weight is 0.4 kg as compared to the length of 50 cm (20 inches) with the weight of 2 kg.

There are variation in the color of the rabbit's coats such as some are brown or buff while others exhibit gray color. Their furs are mostly long and silky.

The majority of the rabbit's digestion takes place in their bulky cecum and intestine. Their cecum is almost 10 times the size of their stomach.

Rabbits are very fond of eating cecotropes which contain minerals, proteins, and vitamins that are essential for the animal's health. Rabbits consume these foods to meet their value nutritional requirements.

On an average, rabbits tend to sleep 8 to 9 hours each day.

Reproductive Biology

Rabbits have one of the quickest reproductive rates.

The breeding season lasts for about 9 months which takes place especially in the months of February to the end of October. However, in Australia or New Zealand, the same breeding season takes place in July to the mid of January.

Under normal circumstances, the gestation period lasts for about 30 days.

On an average, the females litter 4 to 12 kits, but it entirely depends on the species as larger animals are expected to litter more than that

The weaning period of baby rabbits is 4 - 5 weeks. This shows that one female produces 80 babies in one year, let alone one season.

A doe will start breeding after 6 months of age, while the buck will begin in about 7 months.

The rabbit's courtship and mating last 30 - 40 seconds.

The ovulation will start in about 10 hours after mating period. The baby rabbits will be required to nurse only couple of times each day. They will begin to eat on their own after 2 weeks time period. These kits open their eyes after 10 - 11 days of their birth. The soft baby coat is replaced with the adult coat after 6 - 8 months.

The average lifespan of rabbits is about 9 to 12 years, with the oldest ever rabbit lived was 18 years.

Feeding Ecology and Diet

Rabbits are primarily herbivorous as they are commonly known to feed on grass, weeds, forbs, and leafy weeds. As a result, the bulk of the rabbits diet is composed of a great quantity of cellulose which is not easy to digest.

With the help of soft pellets, rabbits can digest it without any difficulty.

The first hour of grazing is by far the busiest hour of rabbits feeding which is followed by more selective feeding.

If rabbits do not feel any threats nearby they will graze for several hours. Rabbits cannot vomit.

Distribution and Habitat

Rabbits make their habitats in forests, deserts, meadows, woods, and wetlands. These mammals are known to live in burrows or holes. The crowd of burrows is called warren. North America hosts more than half the population of rabbits.

Rabbits are endemic to Europe, Sumatra, Southeast Asia, and certain Islands of Japan. Some species also inhabits in South America and Africa.

The population of rabbits is naturally found in Eurasia along with hares. Some of the rabbits also introduced in several parts of the world. European rabbit is one of them.

Types of Rabbits | Rabbit Facts For Kids

Amami Rabbit

Bushman Rabbit

Annamite striped Rabbit

Pygmy Rabbit

Volcano Rabbit

Brush Rabbit

Marsh Rabbit

Forest Rabbit

Desert Cottontail

Mountain Cottontail

Eastern Cottontail

Mexican Cottontail

Dice's Cottontail

Swamp Rabbit

European Rabbit

New England Cottontail

Omilteme Cottontail

Rabbit Facts For Kids | Video

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Rabbit Facts For Kids | Amazing Facts about Rabbits For Kids

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Here are some of the rarely known rabbit facts for kids including rabbits diet, habitat, reproduction and different types. Rabbits are the small mammals that belong to the family of Leporidae with the order Lagomorpha. These animals are widely found in different parts of the world.

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Great White Shark for Kids: Learn about these terrifying fish.

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Kids learn about the Great White Shark, king of sea. This deadly shark is the leading predator of the ocean.

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Take a deep breath, gang, as we dive deep to get the lowdown on one of the ocean's deadliest predators, in our great white shark facts!
Great white shark facts

1) Great white sharks can be found throughout the world's oceans, mostly in cool waters close to the coast.

2) These super swimmers are the largest predatory fish (fish that eat other fish or animals) on our planet. On average, they grow to around 4.6m long, but some great whites have been measured at 6m - that's half the length of a bus!

3) Great white sharks are grey with a white underbelly, from where they get their name. They have a streamlined shape and powerful tails that propel them through the water at over 60km per hour!

4) Any creature unlucky enough to find itself in the gob of a great white is in for a nasty shock! Because this marine beast's mouth is equipped with a set of 300 sharp, triangular teeth arranged in up to seven rows. Yikes! Let's take a closer look, if you dare...

5) Whilst many think of these beasts as fearsome man-eaters, humans aren't, in fact, on the great white's menu. Phew! There are around 5-10 attacks a year, but researchers believe that, rather than preying on humans to eat them, the sharks are instead taking a "sample bite" out of curiosity, before swimming off.

6) So what do they eat? Well, when they're young, they feed on small prey, such as fish and rays. But when they're older and bigger, they generally feast on sea mammals such as sea lions, seals and small whales.

7) Great white sharks have such a strong sense of smell that they can detect a colony of seals two miles away. And check this out - if there was only one drop of blood in 100 litres of water, a great white would smell it!

8) These cunning creatures like to take their prey by surprise. They usually position themselves underneath their unsuspecting victims before swimming up and...chomp! They often burst out of the water in a leap (called a breach) before falling back in with their meal in their mouths.

9) When a great white gives birth, she usually has two to ten youngsters, called " pups". But she shows no care for her offspring - in fact, she may even try to eat them! Taking care of themselves, the newborn pups will immediately swim off into the ocean.

10) Great white sharks are at the top of the food chain and aren't likely to be killed by other sea creatures. Sadly, however, they are under serious threat by human activity. Illegal hunting of these beautiful beasts, and overfishing, have meant that today great white sharks are an endangered species.

Fancy putting your shark knowledge to the test? Then sink your teeth into our super shark quiz!

Love reading about magnificent marine life? Then be sure to check out our ocean's weirdest creatures and 10 facts about bottlenose dolphins!

Photos: Getty Images UK

What did you make of our great white shark facts? Let us know by leaving us a comment, below!

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10 facts about great white sharks! | National Geographic Kids

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Take a deep breath, gang, as we dive deep to get the lowdown on one of the ocean's deadliest predators, in our great white shark facts! 1) Great white sharks can be found throughout the world's oceans, mostly in cool waters close to the coast.

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Blue Whale for Kids: Learn about the giant mammal.

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

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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 10,000-25,00 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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There are about 30 species of rabbits around the world. While their features and locations vary, they share many things in common.

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In this video I share with you 10 Fun Facts About Rabbits! I hope that all of you enjoyed the video and learned something new as well. Subscribe: goo.gl/dedehF Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/funfacts Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FunFactoids If you enjoyed this video please don't forget to like, comment and subscribe! ════════════════════ 10 Fun Facts About Rabbits ══════════════════════ 1.

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Meet the Animals 40: Cottontail Rabbit | Level 2 | By Little Fox

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Meet the Animals introduces kids to popular wild animals. With real photos, and easy-to-read text, this nonfiction series helps kids to practice reading for information. Little Fox is a language education company. We present an award-winning collection of leveled, animated stories and songs. Our goal is to help children learn languages in a natural and fun way.

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Leopards can scale tree trunks and leap 20 feet in a single bound, but at night they really prove their abilities, moving silently on padded feet and stalking their victims with perfect night vision. From: SPEED KILLS: Jungle http://bit.ly/1nCLavR

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Great White Sharks | JONATHAN BIRD'S BLUE WORLD

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#12: Hundreds of dragonflies of different species will gather in swarms, either for feeding or migration

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Find some of the most unique and interesting facts about animals from all over the world.

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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.