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There are more than 24 rattlesnake species and all of them have that most-famous feature: the rattle! The rattle is found at the tip of the rattlesnake's tail. The snake uses the rattle to warn potential aggressors to back off or to distract prey. The famous rattle noise comes from the sound created when hollow and bony doughnutlike segments in the rattle bang together.

As rattlesnakes age, segments on the end of the rattle wear out and break off. New segments grow when the rattlesnake sheds its skin, or molts. Like other snakes, rattlesnakes don't have ears and can't hear most sounds. They detect movement by sensing vibrations in the ground. Their eyes see well even in low light.

The rattlesnake's triangular head contains a hollow spot between the eyes and nostrils called a pit. This pit is actually a sensory organ that helps the rattlesnake hunt in darkness by detecting body heat.

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Rattlesnakes live in many places and habitats in the Western Hemisphere, from mountains to deserts and plains. There are more than 24 rattlesnake species and all of them have that most-famous feature: the rattle! The rattle is found at the tip of the rattlesnake's tail.

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These cats are nimble at high speeds, able to make quick and sudden turns in pursuit of prey. Cheetahs' bodies are uniquely adapted to help them reach top speeds, from their long, slender limbs and hard foot pads to the flexible spine that gives them their long stride.

Cheetahs are famous for their tawny coats covered in black spots, each arranged in a unique pattern to help the animals identify one another. Bold black stripes streak like tears from the inner corners of their eyes down to both sides of their mouths, and the ends of their bushy tails have black rings.

The cheetah's excellent eyesight helps it find prey during the day. The cheetah is hard to see because its spotted coat blends with the tall, dry grass of the plains.

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

Because of their size, strength, and predatory skills, some scientists consider cheetahs to be one of the "big cats." Tigers, lions, leopards, and jaguars are also part of this grouping. Unlike the rest of the group, cheetahs can't roar, though they can they purr.

Although they typically prefer open grasslands, cheetahs live in a range of habitats across eastern and southern Africa.

Once found throughout Asia and Africa, cheetahs today are racing toward extinction. Loss of habitat and declining numbers of their prey combine to threaten the future of these cats.

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

(AD) Check out Hoops to Hippos!: True Stories of a Basketball Star on Safari by Boris Diaw for more animals.

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

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Get ready to meet one seriously fierce, fast and fur-ocious feline with these fascinating cheetah facts!

1) Nearly all wild cheetahs can be found in sub-Saharan Africa, where they roam open, grassy savannah plains and open forests. A small population lives in northeastern Iran, although only a few dozen remain here.

2) These big cats' bodies grow to between 1.1m and 1.4m metres long, plus a tail measuring 65cm to 80cm. Their weight ranges from 34kg to 54kg, males being slightly heavier.

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3) Cheetahs have a pale yellow coat with black dots on the upper parts, and are white on the underbelly. Their faces are distinguished by prominent, black lines that curve from the inner corner of each eye to the outer corners of the mouth.

4) The fastest land animal in the world, a cheetah can reach 112km/h in just three seconds - that's faster than a sports car accelerates! Its body has evolved for speed, with long legs, an elongated spine, adapted claws to grip the ground and a long tail for balance.

5) Cheetahs are carnivores and live off other animals they find on Africa's plains, including rabbits, warthogs, springboks, gazelles and birds.

6) These fierce felines hunt during the day to avoid competition from other powerful predators such as , hyenas and . And boy, can they hunt! First, they use their exceptional eyesight to scan their surroundings before quietly stalking their chosen prey. Then, when the time is right, they sprint from cover, knock down their victim and kill it with a bite to the throat.

7) As sprinting at such mega speeds uses a lot of energy, a cheetah chase is usually limited to 200-300m, and lasts less than a minute.

8) Social animals, cheetahs are usually found in groups, consisting of either a mother and her young, siblings (who stay together for around six months after leaving the mother) or a coalition of males who live and hunt together. Adult females, however, tend to be solitary and only meet with males to mate.

9) Females usually give birth to between two to eight cubs at a time. She nurses her youngsters in a lair hidden by tall vegetation, until they are 16 to 24 months old and able look after themselves.

10) Sadly, this beautiful animal is threatened by loss of habitat and prey, as well as conflict with humans. As a result, the cheetah is classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red list, and, today, an estimated 9,000-12,000 remain in Africa.

Picture credits
Cheetah family in grass: Chris Johns. Cheetah chasing prey: Stu Porter, Dreamstime. Cheetah watching: Heinrich Van Den Berg, Dreamstime.

What did you make of our cheetah facts? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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10 top cheetah facts! - National Geographic Kids

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Cheetah facts: learn all about these felines with facts about the cheetah's habitat, diet, behaviour, range, characteristics and top speed!

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Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land, sprinting at an incredible 60mph! We salute these big cats and reveal how our conservationists are leading the fight to protect them.
1. The planet's fastest land animal is built for super speed, rather than stamina

A cheetah chase usually lasts less than a minute, and covers just 200-300 metres. At full speed, the cheetah takes three strides a second, covering seven metres per stride - it's not surprising they tire quickly, and conserve energy for much of the time. One study found that cheetahs spent only 12% of their day moving around.

2. When they do stir, cheetahs can accelerate faster than most sports cars

They can go from nought to 60mph in three seconds flat. Their claws work rather like studs on football boots for extra grip when sprinting, while their long, muscular tail acts as a rudder, helping them make sharp turns, while chasing prey such as antelope or hares.

3. The name cheetah comes from a Hindi word, chita, meaning 'spotted one'

The spot patterns are unique to each cat, and help to provide camouflage when hunting. But not every cheetah has spots. In rare cases, a recessive gene produces a more blotchy coat that blurs into stripes. These so-called 'king cheetahs' may not look like the spotted kind, but they only differ by one gene.

4. Cheetahs have a unique social life among cats

Females are solitary, while males live together (unlike, say, a lion pride, which has multiple females). A female usually raises her cubs alone, hiding them in dens by day, and teaching them her hunting skills as they grow. Male cheetahs team up with their brothers or other males to form 'coalitions' - groups that defend a shared territory and team up to take down larger prey.

5. Unlike most cats, the cheetah mainly hunts in the day

With eyesight far keener than a human's it can pick out prey from a distance. The distinctive black 'tear marks' running from its eyes are thought to help reflect the glare of the sun. Being active by day also reduces the risk of losing a kill to nocturnal predators, such as lions and spotted hyenas. Even so, a ZSL study in Tanzania - part of our long-term conservation work with cheetahs - found that over one in 10 of their kills were stolen by hyenas or lions.

6. Don't expect a cheetah to roar

They lack the special two-piece bone in the throat that allows other big cats to do so. But they do produce other sounds, including growling, chirping, hissing and purring.

7. In ancient Egypt the cheetah was considered sacred and a symbol of royalty

Cheetahs were kept as hunting companions by pharaohs and depicted in statues and paintings in tombs. Ancient Egyptians believed a cat goddess named Mafdet, often pictured with a cheetah's head, would speed the pharaoh's soul to the afterworld.

8. Cheetahs need their space

Sometimes, lots of it. While some coalitions live in a small 30 km square territory, on other areas a cheetah may roam a vast range of 3,000 square kilometres. They favour areas where prey animals are less dense, avoiding competition with bigger predators. Loss of habitat, mainly due to human expansion, means that areas that were once home to thousands of cheetahs can now only support a handful. With people and cheetahs coming into closer contact, human-wildlife conflicts are also a threat.

9. Cheetahs are under threat from the illegal wildlife trade

The cheetah's awesome looks and reputation are fuelling the newest threat to its survival: illegal trade. Demand for cheetahs as pets (particularly in the Arabian Gulf) means cubs are often taken from the wild. Just one in six cubs are thought to survive trafficking. There is hope, however: at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in 2016, 180 countries backed measures ZSL had called for to clamp down on the trade - from strengthening law enforcement to tackling the sale of cheetahs on social media platforms.

10. Cheetahs could be sprinting towards extinction

They were once widespread in Africa, as well as the Arabian Peninsula and east India, but research by ZSL and its allies has shown that cheetahs are now found in just 9% of their historic range. More than 90% of them have disappeared since 1900, and the global population is estimated at less than 8,000. The Asian cheetah population now numbers just 50 or so animals, in one isolated pocked of Iran.
Did you know, with more than 130 cubs born over the past 40 years, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is a success story for cheetah breeding? please donate to support our work

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10 things you didn't know about cheetahs

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Cheetahs are the fastest animals on land, sprinting at an incredible 60mph! We salute these big cats and reveal how our conservationists are leading the fight to protect them. A cheetah chase usually lasts less than a minute, and covers just 200-300 metres.

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What is the fastest land animal in the world?

You guessed it: the cheetah! With the ability to accelerate from zero to 45 in just 2.5 seconds, these cats are built for speed. They are the world's fastest land mammal, bolting up to 60 to 70 mph.

Where do cheetahs live?

In the past 50 years, cheetahs have become extinct in at least 13 countries and today are most prevalent in Kenya and Tanzania in east Africa, and Namibia and Botswana in southern Africa. In Namibia, they live in areas with grasslands, savannahs, dense vegetation and mountainous terrain.

Do cheetahs roar?

Cheetahs don't roar, but they do make other noise. They purr, bark, stutter, growl, hiss and chirp!

Why do cheetahs chirp?

A cheetah's chirp has many meanings. Females in estrus often chirp to attract mates. Both male and female cheetahs also chirp when distressed.

Males may chirp when separated from members of their coalition and when reunited. Moms and cubs will do the same. Cheetahs may even be able to identify each other by the sound of their chirps.

Do a cheetah's claws retract?

Cheetahs have blunt, semi-retractable claws. Their paw prints have visible claw tips, appearing more similar to a dog than a cat!

How do cheetahs hunt?

Unlike most cats, which are nocturnal predators, cheetahs primarily hunt in the early morning and late afternoon. They rely heavily on sight, scanning the countryside from atop termite mounds or kopjes - small, rocky hills.

Once a cheetah spots its prey, it creeps closer before its final sprint. If a cheetah successfully catches its prey, it suffocates the animal by clamping down on its windpipe; the cheetah's jaw creates a strong, vise-like grip.

What do cheetahs eat?

These carnivores eat small antelope, including springbok, steenbok, duikers, impala and gazelles, as well as the young of larger animals, such as warthogs, kudu, hartebeest, oryx, roan and sable. Cheetahs also hunt game birds and rabbits.

A cheetah must eat its kill quickly, as it can be bullied away from its catch by lions, hyenas or even groups of vultures.

Why do cheetahs have spots?

A cheetah's spots cover nearly its entire body and may serve as camouflage by offsetting shadows in the gray-hued grasses they inhabit. Camouflage is not only essential for stalking prey but also for protecting cheetah cubs from predators.

Did you know? Much like a human fingerprint, a cheetah's spots and the ring pattern of its tail are unique!

How many cheetahs are left in the world today?

It is estimated that cheetahs have disappeared from 89 percent of their natural range throughout Africa, with just 7,500 to 10,000 remaining in the wild.

How do cheetahs run so fast?

Beyond a streamlined body and light bones, many other adaptations allow cheetahs to run incredibly fast! Special paw pads and semi-retractable claws offer great traction, while large nostrils and lungs provide quick air intake, so cheetahs can easily breathe while running.

Vertical shoulder blades, which are not attached to the cheetah's small collarbone, as well as hips that swivel on a flexible spine help lengthen the cheetah's stride and provide superior acceleration. The cheetah's spine works as a spring for its powerful back legs, extending its reach with each step. Meanwhile, the tail acts as a rudder for making quick turns, counteracting its bodyweight.
Stop by Cheetah Conservation Station to see the Smithsonian's National Zoo's cheetahs during your next visit!

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Why Do Cheetahs Have Spots? And Other Cheetah Facts

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You guessed it: the cheetah! With the ability to accelerate from zero to 45 in just 2.5 seconds, these cats are built for speed. They are the world's fastest land mammal, bolting up to 60 to 70 mph.

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The Cheetah's Wild Life

There are three stages in the life cycle of the cheetah: cub (birth to 18 months), adolescence (18 to 24 months) and adult life (24 months and on).

The gestation (pregnancy) period for the cheetah is 93 days, and litters range in size from one or two up to six cubs (the occasional litter of eight cubs has been recorded, but it is rare). Cub mortality is higher in protected areas like national parks and wildlife reserves where proximity to large predators is greater than in non-protected areas. In such areas, the cheetah cub mortality can be as high as 90%.

Adult life for a cheetah in the wild is difficult. Cheetahs in the wild (both male and female combined) have an average age span of 10 - 12 years. The average lifespan of an adult male in the wild skews lower (8 years), due in part to territorial conflicts with competing groups of males. Adult mortality is one of the most significant limiting factors for the growth and survival of the wild cheetah population.
Captive Population Info
Physical Characteristics of Adult Cheetahs

Adult cheetahs' weight averages between 75 and 125 pounds. They can measure from 40 to 60 inches in length, measured from the head to the hind quarters. The tail can add a further 24 to 32 inches bringing the total overall length up to 7.5 feet. On average, cheetahs stand 28 to 36 inches tall at the shoulder.

The cheetah is a sexually dimorphic species though it is difficult to identify cheetahs' sex by appearance alone. Male cheetahs are slightly bigger than females and they have larger heads, but they do not display the same degree of physical difference between the sexes of other big cat species like lions.

Cheetahs have a thin frame with a narrow waist and deep chest. They have large nostrils that allow for increased oxygen intake. Cheetahs have a large lungs and hearts connected to a circulatory system with strong arteries and adrenals that work in tandem to circulate oxygen through their blood very efficiently.

With its long legs and very slender body, the cheetah is quite different from all other cats and is the only member of its genus, Acinonyx. The cheetah's unique morphology and physiology allow it to attain the extreme speeds for which it's famous.

Markings

The cheetah's undercoat ranges in color from light tan to a deep gold and is marked by solid black spots. These spots are not open like the rosettes found on a leopard or jaguar's coat, which is one way to quickly identify the cheetah.

Distinctive black tear stripes run from the eyes to the mouth. The stripes are thought to protect the eyes from the sun's glare. It is believed that they have the same function as a rifle scope, helping cheetahs focus on their prey at a long distance range by minimizing the glare of the sun.

Cheetah tails end with a bushy tuft encircled by five or six dark rings. These markings provide them with excellent camouflage while hunting and make them more difficult for other predators to detect. The tail is also thought to be a signaling device, helping young cubs follow their mothers in tall grass. The tip of the tail varies in color from white to black among individuals.

Built for Speed

The cheetah is the world's fastest land animal and Africa's most endangered big cat. Uniquely adapted for speed, the cheetah is capable of reaching speeds greater than 110 kilometers per hour in just over three seconds. At top speed, their stride is seven meters long. The cheetah's unique body structure: flexible spine, semi-retractable claws, long legs and tail allow it to achieve the unbelievable top speed of 110 km/hr (70 mph). The cheetah's body is narrow and lightweight with long slender limbs. Specialized muscles allow for a greater swing to the limbs increasing acceleration.

Cheetahs' foot pads are hard and less rounded than the other cats. The pads function like tire treads providing them with increased traction in fast, sharp turns. The short blunt claws, which are considered semi-retractable, are closer to that of a dog than of other cats. The claws work like the cleats of a track shoe to grip the ground for traction when running to help increase speed.

Fast and Flexible

The flexibility of the cheetah's spine is unique. The cheetah's long muscular tail works like a rudder, stabilizing, and acting as a counterbalance to its body weight. Swinging the tail back and forth continually adjusting to the movement of prey allows for sudden sharp turns during high speed chases. The cheetah's shoulder blade does not attach to the collar bone, thus allowing the shoulders to move freely.

The hips pivot to allow the rear legs to stretch far apart when the body is fully extended. The hip and shoulder extension allows for a large range of extension during running, thus making both its exceptional stride length. The length between their steps is six to seven meters (21 ft) and four strides are completed per second. There are two times in one stride when the cheetah's body is completely off the ground: once when all four legs are extended and once when all four legs are bunched under the body.

Cheetah Cubs

At birth, the cubs weigh 8.5 to 15 ounces and are blind and helpless. Their mother will groom them patiently, purring quietly and providing them warmth and security. After a day or so, the mother will leave the cubs to hunt for herself, so she can continue to care for the cubs. This is the most vulnerable time for the cubs, as they are left unprotected. They will live in a secluded nest until they are about six to eight weeks old, being regularly moved by their mother from nest to nest to avoid detection by predators. The mother will care for her cubs on her own for the next year and a half.

At about six weeks of age

The cubs begin following their mother on her daily travels as she is looking for prey. During these first few months she cannot move far or fast and cub mortality is highest. Fewer than one in 10 cubs will survive during this time, as they perish from predation by other large predators such as lions and hyenas, or from injuries. This is the time when life skills are taught.

Cheetah cubs have a thick silvery-grey mantle down their back. The mantle helps camouflage the cubs by imitating the look of an aggressive animal called a honey badger. This mimicry may help deter predators such as lions, hyenas, and eagles from attempting to kill them. Cubs lose their mantle at about three months of age.

Between four to six months of age

Cheetah cubs are very active and playful. Trees provide good observation points and allow for development of skills in balancing. The cubs' semi non-retractable claws are sharper at this age and help them grip the tall 'playtrees' they climb with their siblings. Learning to hunt is the most critical survival skill that the cubs will develop. At one year of age, cheetah cubs participate in hunts with their mother.

At about 18 months of age

The mother and cubs will finally separate. Although not fully adept at hunting on their own, independent male and female cubs will stick together for a few more months to master their hunting skills. When the adolescent females begin cycling, dominant males will court them and drive their brothers away.

Male Coalitions

As the female siblings become sexually mature they will split from the group to lead a largely independent life. Male siblings remain together for the rest of their lives, forming a group known as a coalition. Coalitions increase hunting success and act as a defense against other predators.

When the split from sisters occurs, the males will roam until they can find and defend a territory. This process can take a few years and males may travel hundreds of miles, being moved out of one area to another, pushed on by more experienced male coalitions. Eventually, the group will find a place where they can settle. This will become the coalition's territory and could span 15 to 30 square miles.

Cheetahs that become orphaned at a young age, and are brought into a rehabilitation situation, can be paired with non-related individuals to form a coalition. When these cheetahs are released back into the wild, the created coalitions will often remain intact throughout the life of the individuals.

Mating

Females lead solitary lives unless they are accompanied by their cubs. Unlike male cheetahs that prefer to live in set territories with their coalition, females travel within "home ranges" that overlap multiple male groups' territories. Female cheetah home ranges depend on the distribution of prey. If prey is roaming and widespread, females will have larger ranges.

Estrus in female cheetahs is not predictable or regular. This is one of the reasons why it is difficult to breed cheetahs in captivity. Mating receptivity depends on environmental factors that, researchers have found, are triggered by the proximity of males and their scent markings. Estrus lasts up to 14 days and females will mate with multiple males during this time period. Male cheetahs that encounter a female cheetah in estrus will stay with her and mate up to three days and at intervals throughout the day. When it comes to mating, there are no dominant males within the coalition that claim exclusive access to females. All males within a coalition will mate.

Genetic Diversity

During the last Ice Age the world's population of cheetahs plummeted to just a handful of individuals. This event caused an extreme reduction of the cheetah's genetic diversity, known as a population bottleneck, resulting in the physical homogeneity of the species' current population. Cheetahs are so genetically similar that in experiments, reciprocal skin grafts from unrelated cheetahs were accepted by the other's immune system due to the animals having similar major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genotypes.

Researchers have discovered that suitable levels of genetic diversity are vital to any population's ability to adapt and overcome environmental changes and unexpected disasters. Unsustainable human expansion and irresponsible consumption can cause pressure on ecosystems worldwide. Population research has shown that when habitat is destroyed and populations become fragmented and isolated, the rate of inbreeding increases and the genetic diversity lowers.

Physiological impairments such as: poor sperm quality, focal palatine erosion, susceptibility to infectious diseases, and kinked tails are a result of low genetic diversity within both the wild and captive cheetah population.

Hunting

Cheetahs are visual hunters. Unlike other big cats cheetahs are diurnal, meaning they hunt in early morning and late afternoon. Cheetahs climb 'playtrees' or termite mounds to get an optimal vantage point for spotting prey against the horizon. The hunt has several components. It includes prey detection, stalking, the chase, tripping (or prey capture), and killing by means of a suffocation bite to the throat.

Diet and Eating

The prey species on which the cheetah depends have evolved speed and avoidance techniques that can keep them just out of reach. Cheetahs prey includes: gazelles (especially Thomson's gazelles), impalas and other small to medium-sized antelopes, hares, birds, and rodents. Cheetahs will also prey on the calves of larger herd animals.

Cheetahs generally prefer to prey upon wild species and avoid hunting domestic livestock. The exception happening in sick, injured and either old or young and inexperienced cheetahs. Generally, the livestock animals that are lost to predation by cheetahs are also sick, injured and old/young. Keeping livestock in kraals and utilizing non-lethal means of protection can dramatically reduce livestock predation.

Activity

While cheetahs can reach remarkable speeds, they cannot sustain a high speed chase for very long. They must catch their prey in 30 seconds or less as they cannot maintain maximum speeds for much longer. Cheetahs spend most of their time sleeping and they are minimally active during the hottest portions of the day. They prefer shady spots and will sleep under the protection of large shady trees. Cheetahs do not hunt at night, they are most active during the morning and evening hours.

Role in the Ecosystem

The cheetah serves a special role in its ecosystem. Cheetahs are one of the most successful hunters on the savanna but their kills are very often stolen by larger carnivores or predators that hunt in groups. Predators play an important role in any ecosystem. They keep prey species healthy by killing the weak and old individuals. They also act as a population check which helps plants-life by preventing overgrazing. Without predators like the cheetah, the savanna ecosystem in Namibia would be very different and the current ecological trend toward desertification would be accelerated.

Vocalizations

Unlike other "big cats", a classification that includes: lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars) cheetahs don't roar. They growl when facing danger, and they vocalize with sounds more equivalent to a high-pitched chirp or bubble and they bark when communicating with each other. The cheetah can also purr while both inhaling and exhaling.

Species Then and Now

Relatives of the modern cheetah had worldwide distribution until about 20,000 years ago, when the world's environment underwent dramatic changes during the Great Ice Age. Only a handful of individuals remained.

The population of cheetahs rebounded. Up until ~10,000 years ago their range spread across the entire African continent (minus the Congo Basin and the Sahara Desert) and into Asia from the Arabian Peninsula to eastern India. Today, cheetahs are found in only 9% of their historic range and are functionally extinct. Once found throughout Asia and Africa, today there are fewer than 7,100 adult and adolescent cheetahs in the wild.

Protected Status

Currently, cheetahs are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. In Namibia, they are a protected species. Under the Endangered Species Act in the United States, they are considered Endangered. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists them as an Appendix 1 species. Most wild cheetahs exist in fragmented populations in pockets of Africa, occupying a mere 9 percent of their historic range. In Iran, fewer than 50 Asiatic cheetahs (a sub-species) remain.

The largest single population of cheetahs occupies a six-country polygon that spans Namibia, Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Zambia. Namibia has the largest number of individuals of any country, earning it the nickname, "The Cheetah Capital of the World." More than 75 percent of remaining wild cheetahs live on rural farmlands alongside human communities.

Cheetahs in Captivity

In captivity cheetahs can live from 17 - 20 years. In countries across Africa, like Namibia, it is illegal to capture and take live cheetahs from the wild. Also in the majority of African countries, like Namibia, it is illegal to keep cheetahs under private ownership or as pets. Cheetah Conservation Fund and other Africa-based NGOs keep populations of injured or orphaned animals in captivity as part of rehabilitation and rewilding efforts.

Suitability for release is dependent on:

the age of the individuals when they became orphaned

the degree to which human intervention was required for their survival

Very young and extremely ill animals will have greater degrees of contact with human caretakers. Survival in the wild depends on an aversion to humans and avoidance of human populations. Cheetahs that require hand-rearing and prolonged medical treatment do not possess an adequate fear of humans for life in the wild, especially when their territories are increasingly likely to be shared by human settlements.

Zoos and Conservation

Accredited zoos around the world participate in captive breeding programs that track the genetic suitability for mating pairs. Accreditation criteria differs between accrediting organizations. Accreditation in most cases requires that zoos holding captive cheetahs must support conservation work. Cheetah Conservation Fund lists the zoos that fund our conservation work here.

Cheetah Conservation Fund manages the International Cheetah Studbook for captive cheetah populations.

Specialized Conservation Needs

As with all other species fighting extinction, the problem facing the cheetah is complex and multifaceted. However, most of the reasons for the cheetah's endangerment can be grouped into three overarching categories:

human-wildlife conflict,

loss of habitat and loss of prey,

poaching and illegal wildlife trafficking, with cubs being taken from the Horn of Africa and smuggled into the exotic pet trade, primarily in the Gulf States.

Human-Wildlife Conflict

Unlike other large cats and pack predators, cheetahs do not do well in wildlife reserves. These areas normally contain high densities of other larger predators like the lion, leopard, and hyena. Predators such as these, compete with cheetahs for prey and will even kill cheetahs given the opportunity. In such areas, the cheetah cub mortality can be as high as 90%. Therefore, roughly 90% of cheetahs in Africa live outside of protected lands on private farmlands and thus often come into conflict with people.

When a predator threatens a farmer's livestock, they also threaten the farmer's livelihood. Farmers act quickly to protect their resources, often trapping or shooting the cheetah. Because cheetahs hunt more during the day, they are seen more often than the nocturnal predators which contributes to a higher rate of persecution on the cheetah.

Habitat Loss

Cheetahs require vast expanses of land with suitable prey, water, and cover sources to survive. As wild lands are destroyed and fragmented by the human expansion occurring all over the world, the cheetah's available habitat is also destroyed. Available habitat is fragmented, and degraded reducing the number of animals an area can support. Numerous landscapes across Africa that could once support thousands of cheetahs now struggle to support just a handful.

Illegal Wildlife Trade

In many parts of the world there are strong cultural associations to keeping cheetahs as companions. There is a long history of the practice and it is commonly seen in ancient art.

In contemporary times, cheetahs are still viewed as status symbols. Though cheetah ownership and exotic pet ownership has been outlawed in many countries, there is still a high demand for cheetahs as pets. Cubs are illegally captured from the wild and only one in six survives the journey to a potential buyer.

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About Cheetahs * Cheetah Facts * Cheetah Conservation Fund *

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Learn about cheetahs from Cheetah Conservation Fund. CCF has the world's leading experts on cheetahs including our founder Dr. Laurie Marker.

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About National Geographic Kids Explore amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space. Best for children aged 6-14. Don't know how to login? Depending on this location's preferences, the log-in process could include your library card number, a student or user ID, or another provided password.

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Explore amazing adventures in science, nature, culture, archaeology, and space. Best for children aged 6-14.

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Ten Interesting Facts about Lions | Blog Posts | WWF

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Bottlenose Dolphin Facts for Kids | Dolphin Photos

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Bottlenose dolphins are great swimmers. They start swimming in their mother’s womb before they’re even born! Learn more dolphin facts at Animal Fact Guide!

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Dolphins are sometimes thought of as the dogs of the sea because they are usually playful and friendly. They're also among the smartest animals on Earth. Dolphins are water mammals. Scientists believe they're as smart as chimpanzees or dogs. They live in rivers and oceans, but they must come up to breathe air.

A Dolphin is a cetacean mammal, related to whales and porpoises. Though people sometimes think 'dolphin' and 'porpoise' are the same thing, porpoises are not considered dolphins and have different physical features (Porpoises have a shorter beak and spade-shaped teeth) and they also behave in different way than a dolphin does. Porpoises and dolphins share a common ancestry, being of the Delphinidae mammal family.

Fun Facts about Dolphins for Kids

Most dolphins are black or gray. Killer whales (a type of dolphin) are black and white.

Bottlenose dolphins are the most common type of dolphin. You're likely to see the Bottlenose dolphin in rivers and coastal areas in the southern United States. They are usually gray in color.

Scientists say that there are 45 different species of dolphins, five of which are river dolphins.

Bottlenose dolphins live up to 40 years while the Orca (killer whales) can live up to 80 years.

Dolphins sometimes die when they become trapped in fishermen's nets.

Dolphins live in groups called schools or pods. A female dolphin leads the herd.

Male dolphins are called "bulls", females are called "cows" and the young dolphins are called "calves". Calves stay alongside their mothers up to 3 years and sometimes up to 8 years.

Dolphins use squeaks and whistles to call to each other.

Like bats, dolphins use echolocation to find food and objects.

Dolphins eat fish and squid.

A group of dolphins is called a school, or Pod. Dolphins are very social, a family (pod) can have 1000 members.

The smallest dolphin is called a Maui's dolphin. It is only 1.2 m (4 ft) long and 40 kg (90 lb) light. Like a small human child! They are the rarest type of dolphin and live off the coast of New Zealand.

The Orca, also known as the killer whale, is a type of dolphin. It is a huge type of dolphin, as long as 9.5 m (30 ft) and weighing around 10 tonnes! Orcas belong to the mammal family of Delphinidae so they qualify as dolphins.

Dolphin Vocabulary

Learn More All About Dolphins

Watch this very fun and entertaining dolphin video:

A video of a dolphin show to see how smart dolphins can be when trained.

Many people think it is cruel to keep a dolphin in captivity, especially as they are such intelligent creatures. It is cruel to keep any animal in captivity (like in a cage in the zoo), yet sometimes it is the only way to show kids rare or endangered animals, or animals from far away places.

Animals are usually very sad to be in captivity and are best left in the wild where they belong. Imagine, would you be happy if you were in a little room for all your life till you died? How would you feel, if you could never run, climb, go on a trip, take long walks or play your favorite sports game?

Would you like it if you were taken away from your family and friends and were lonely without ever meeting new people, just walking back and forth in your room all your life? It is fun to watch a show, just remember, it is not always fun for the animal to be part of it!

Dolphin Q&A

Question: Are dolphins dangerous?

Answer: Dolphins are usually gentle and friendly. They have even been known to help injured swimmers and sometimes even to save people from sharks. They are highly intelligent creatures and can be trained to do complex things. Some think a dolphin can help depressed people. However, they are wild animals and should be treated kindly and carefully. If you annoy a dolphin, he could poke you with his nose real hard. That is why sharks fear them.

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Question: Are dolphins endangered?

Answer: Killer whales and bottlenose dolphins aren't endangered, but many river dolphins are. Dolphins often get killed in fishermen's nets, especially Tuna fishing boats cause many to die. Dolphins have very sensitive ears so they suffer very much from loud noise, like from motor boats, jet skis etc.
Useful Websites
CoolKidFacts - Dolphin Facts

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

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Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids (All You Need to Know!)

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Easy Science for Kids All About Dolphins - The Dogs of The Sea. Learn more about Dolphins with our interesting Kids Science Website on Dolphins!

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A dolphin is an aquatic mammal. Dolphins are extremely intelligent and sociable animals, and have their own way to communicate with each other using special sounds.

Dolphins have a playful and friendly nature, which makes them very popular with humans. Read on for more facts about dolphins for kids (and adults) ...

Have you seen a dolphin in real life? They sometimes live in captivity, in zoos, aquariums or water parks. Perhaps you are lucky enough to have seen them in the wild. There are few better sights in nature than a group of dolphins swimming in the sea!

Information about dolphins

Although they are often mistaken for fish, dolphins are actually mammals. They are members of the Cetacea (pronounced set-ay-shia) family, which also contains whales and porpoises.

One way of telling the difference between a cetacean and a fish is by looking at their tails. You can tell a cetacean because their tail fins (called flukes) are horizontal, and move up and down. Fish have vertical tails which move from side to side.

Watch the video below to see how a dolphin swims.

The most common type of dolphin is the bottlenose dolphin, which has the scientific name Tursiops. The bottlenose dolphin gets its name from its short and stubby beak. They measure around 6-12 feet (2-4 metres) long and can weigh anywhere between 300 and 1400 pounds (135 - 650 kg). Male dolphins are larger than females.

A dolphin's body is designed to help them move quickly and easily through water. The dolphin's fluke propels it through the water. On its back is a curved dorsal fin and on each side of the dolphin is a pectoral fin. The bump on a dolphins head is known as the melon.

Dolphin behaviour

Dolphins are very sociable and like to spend time together. They usually live in groups of around 10 - 12 members. These groups are called pods. The female members of the family are called cows, the males are called bulls and young dolphins are known as calves. Pods help dolphins to form bonds and protect each other.

Dolphins are also very playful creatures. They have been spotted chasing each other and tossing around objects such as seaweed. They often leap out of the water, ride waves and pop their heads above the surface to look around (this is known as spy-hopping).

Echolocation

Dolphins use a type of sonar to detect where objects are around them. This is called echolocation. Echolocation works when a dolphin bounces a high pitched sound off an object and then listens for the echo to come back. It is a very useful way for dolphins to find food and navigate.

How intelligent are dolphins?

Dolphins are often thought of as one of the world's most intelligent animals. They have bigger brains than humans.

How do dolphins communicate with each other?

Dolphins communicate with each other through clicks, squeaks and whistles. They use these special sounds to greet each other and to indicate if they are in distress.

How do dolphins breathe?

Dolphins live in the sea, but they can't breathe under water! They breathe through a blowhole and have to come up for air every 15 minutes.

Where do dolphins live?

Most dolphins are marine mammals - this means that they live in the sea. They can be found in oceans all over the world. Dolphins usually stick to shallow areas of water found along coastlines and continental shelves. They like to live in warm, tropical water such as the Indian Ocean but dolphins can even be found in the seas around Scotland!

River Dolphins

There are also some species of dolphins that live in rivers. River dolphins can be found in locations such as the Ganges River and the Amazon River.

What do dolphins eat?

Dolphins are carnivores. They live off fish, squid and crustaceans that they find in the sea. Using their echolocation skills, dolphins usually work together in their pods to find fish. They trap large groups of fish and take turns to hunt and eat as many as they can. Although they have teeth, dolphins usually swallow their food whole.

In a normal day, a dolphin will eat up to 30 pounds of food!

Types of dolphin

There are over 40 different species of dolphins in the world. This includes marine dolphins that live in the sea as well as river dolphins.

Dolphins in captivity

If you have seen a dolphin in real life, it was probably in captivity. Many zoos, aquariums and waterparks keep dolphins and train them to perform in shows.

Dolphins kept in captivity for this purpose are usually treated very well, and seem to enjoy entertaining people. Many people who would otherwise never have seen a dolphin are able to get close to them and learn more about them. This may in turn help raise awareness of dolphin conservation efforts.

However, many people think that dolphins should not be kept in captivity, and argue that an intelligent animal would prefer life in the wild and should not be contained in a small area.

It is impossible for us to know what a dolphin is really thinking. Although they may seem to be enjoying performing, we don't know what the effect of being in captivity really has on a dolphin.

What do you think? Is it right to keep dolphins in captivity? Both sides have valid arguments and there is no real right or wrong answer.

Are dolphins endangered?

Some species of dolphins are becoming endangered because of human behaviour.

The biggest threat to the dolphin population is fishing. Nets from fishing boats are very dangerous to dolphins because they can get accidentally caught up in them and drown. In some countries, dolphins are even illegally hunted as a source of food.

Human pollution is another big threat to dolphins. Waste and chemicals poured into the ocean can make dolphins sick and reduce their ability to fight infections and diseases.

How can we help dolphins?

Learning about dolphins is a great a start. If more people know about dolphins, there will be more awareness of their threats. There are many groups around the world that are dedicated to protecting wild dolphins by reducing hunting and pollution.

10 facts about dolphins for kids

1. Dolphins can dive as deep as 3000 feet (915 metres).

2. They can reach swimming speeds of up to 22 miles (35 kilometres) an hour.

3. Wild dolphins live for at least 40 years.

4. The largest member of the dolphin family is the orca, also known as the killer whale.

5. Dolphins are warm blooded, just like humans.

6. Whilst sleeping, only half of a dolphin's brain switches off. The other half stays awake to help them breathe and prevent them from drowning.

7. A dolphin calf stays with its mother until it is between 3 and 8 years old.

8. Dolphins have no sense of smell!

9. Dolphins don't need to drink to stay alive. The fish that they eat contain enough water to keep them hydrated.

10. Dolphins have a thick layer of fat called blubber beneath their skin to keep warm.

Dolphin activities

We hope that you have enjoyed these facts about dolphins for kids. Now that you've learned everything there is to know about these amazing creatures, try these fun activities:

Draw a dolphin. Don't forget to include the tail and fins. Then, colour your dolphin in a grey colour.

Pretend that you are a scientist who is studying wild dolphins. Write a journal of your day following a dolphin pod. What did they do? What did you see? Use the facts in the article to help you.

Find out more about how we can help to protect dolphins in the wild. Look at how we can reduce pollution and buy dolphin friendly products.

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Dolphin Information & Facts About Dolphins For Kids

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Dolphin information & facts for kids. Learn more about these popular aquatic mammals with our in-depth guide. With pictures of dolphins, video & activities.

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Elephant facts

1) There are threedifferent species of elephant - the African Savannah elephant, the African Forest elephant and the Asian elephant. Elephants are known for their large ears, tusks made of ivory and their trunks.

2) Elephants are the world's largest land animal! Male African elephants can reach 3m tall and weigh between 4,000 -7,500kg. Asian elephants are slightly smaller, reaching 2.7m tall and weighing 3,000- 6,000kg.

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3) There's an easy way to tell the African elephants apart from their Asian cousins - their ears! African elephants have large ears shaped like the continent of Africa! Asian elephants' ears are smaller and shaped like India. Cool, huh?

4) You can tell a lot about an elephant by looking at their tusks! Elephant tusks never stop growing, so enormous tusks can be a sign of an old elephant. Both male and female African elephants grow tusks, but only male Asian elephants grow them. A tusk-less adult elephant is likely to be a female Asian elephant.

5) Until recently, African Forest elephants were thought to be a subspecies of the African elephant, but new research discovered that they are actually a separate species entirely. These elephants live in the tropical forests of Africa's Congo Basin. They have straighter tusks and more rounded ears than Savannah elephants.

6) These magnificent mammals spend between 12 to 18 hours eating grass, plants and fruit every single day! They use their long trunks to smell their food and lift it up into their mouth - yum!

7) All that eating means one thing, gang, an awful lot of poo! Each elephant creates about one tonne of poo per week, which keeps the soil fertile and disperses tree seeds. Elephants also dig waterholes and create footpaths, literally changing the landscape around them!

8) In Mount Elgon National Park in , a group of elephants use their tusks to mine for salt in underground caves! They feel their way around with their trunks and eat the salts by breaking them off with their tusks.

9) Elephants have created their very own sunscreen! After a river or swamp bath, they'll throw mud and sand up and over themselves to protect their skin from the hot, burning sun. Clever!

10) Sadly, elephants are in trouble. Many are killed by humans for their ivory tusks, because they've come into conflict with communities or simply for sport. There are far fewer Asian elephants than there are African elephants. Asian elephants also face threats from tourist attractions where people pay to ride on their backs or watch them paint pictures using their trunks.

Check out more articles about awesome elephants! Read our interview with Harry Potter star Evanna Lynch to find out how she's helping elephants, and learn how one young boy is taking action to save these incredible animals.

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

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Elephant facts | Animals | National Geographic Kids

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Discover awesome elephant facts with Nat Geo Kids. You'll discover different elephant species, learn where they live and more...

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How many muscles does an elephant's trunk have? And 6 other elephant facts

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Asian and African elephants play a crucial role in their natural habitats. Learn some fun facts about elephants!

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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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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
© Contributed by Leanne Guenther
In some form, sharks have been around for about 400 million years. They are the top predators of the ocean's natural food chain.

Even before dinosaurs roamed the earth, sharks hunted through the oceans! They're such good survivors that they've had little need to evolve in the last 150 million years.

There are over 400 types of sharks -- at least 30 of these species have been known to attack humans. They range in size from 6 inches to 45 feet.

These ancient predators fascinate adults and children alike.

Scientific Information: Sharks belong to the class of fish, Chondrichthyes.
[in Spanish]

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© Contributed by Leanne Guenther In some form, sharks have been around for about 400 million years. They are the top predators of the ocean's natural food chain. Even before dinosaurs roamed the earth, sharks hunted through the oceans! They're such good survivors that they've had little need to evolve in the last 150 million years.

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

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

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Like human children, bear cubs are extremely playful; and just like human mothers, if things get too rough, mother bears will make them stop to protect them from hurting themselves.

Amazing Facts About the Bear

Bears are extraordinarily intelligent animals. They have far superior navigation skills to humans; excellent memories; large brain to body ratio; and use tools in various contexts from play to hunting.

Bears grieve deeply for others. Cubs are known to moan and cry when separated from their mothers. This can go on for weeks if their mothers are killed by hunters.

Bears have excellent senses of smell, sight and hearing. They can smell food, cubs, a mate or predators from miles away. Their great eyesight allows them to detect when fruits are ripe.

Some species of Asiatic bear build nests in the trees. They can use these for hiding, eating and even sleeping.

Bears care deeply about family members. They will risk their lives and even fight to the death in order to save a cub or sibling from danger.

Bears and Human Culture

Bears were often honoured in the cultures of many early civilisations. They were seen as a symbol of power, strength and love.

Vikings and the Celts have many legends about the strength, protectiveness and prowess of bears.

The bear is a common national personification for Russia (and the former USSR) and Germany. The brown bear is Finland's national animal.

Find more animals like this

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Amazing Facts about the Bear | OneKindPlanet Animal Education & Facts

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Like human children, bear cubs are extremely playful; and if things get too rough, mother bears will make them stop to protect them from hurting themselves.

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Bears are mammals that belong to the family Ursidae. They can be as small as four feet long and about 60 pounds (the sun bear) to as big as eight feet long and more than a thousand pounds (the polar bear). They're found throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

They have nonretractable claws, short tails, and excellent sense of smell. They're typically solitary, except for mothers with cubs. There are eight species: Asiatic black bears (also called moon bears), brown bears (which include grizzly bears), giant pandas, North American black bears, polar bears, sloth bears, spectacled bears (also called Andean bears), and sun bears.

On average, bears can live up to 25

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Bears are mammals that belong to the family Ursidae. They can be as small as four feet long and about 60 pounds (the sun bear) to as big as eight feet long and more than a thousand pounds (the polar bear). They're found throughout North America, South America, Europe, and Asia.

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Black bear facts

1. American black bears are found in Canada, Mexico and North America.

2. They mostly eat grasses, herbs and fruit, but will sometimes eat other things, including fish.

3. The black bear's coat has lots of layers of shaggy fur, which keeps it warm in cold winter months.

4. They may be called black bears, but their coat can be blue-gray or blue-black, brown and even sometimes white!

5. Their short claws make black bears expert tree climbers.

6. They may be large, but black bears can run up to 40kmph!

7. These big bears have a very good sense of smell and can often be seen standing on their hind legs, sniffing scents!

8. They usually live in forests but black bears are also found in mountains and swamps.

9. Black bears spend winter dormant in their dens, feeding on body fat they have built up over the summer and autumn.

10. They make their dens in caves, burrows or other sheltered spots. Sometimes they even make them in tree holes high above the ground!

Image ⓒ Black bear orange/red background: Getty (137271612). Black in river by log: Getty (974185272). Black bear in grass: Getty (160869655).

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10 black bear facts! | National Geographic Kids

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Scoop fascinating black bear facts right here at Nat Geo Kids! Discover where these incredible creatures live, how they hunt and what they eat...