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What type of animal are Wasps?

Wasps are parasitic insects.

What class of animal do Wasps belong to?

Wasps belong to the class of Insecta.

How many Wasps are there in the world?

Wasps are parasitic insects that are available in abundance throughout the world. It is almost impossible to provide accurate data about the exact number of wasps in current existence. However, they have been identified to exist across the globe in the diversity of more than 30,000 species.

Where do Wasps live?

Wasps can be found in almost every corner of the world. They can be found in the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and other places with dense forests and grasslands.

What is a Wasp's habitat?

Wasps thrive in dense forest spaces, thickets, shrubs, grasslands, woodlands, or even urban spaces like gardens, fields, and other similar areas.

Who do Wasps live with?

Wasps are normally of two types - solitary wasps and social wasps. Solitary wasps are endowed with the responsibility of constructing a colony. Once a new colony is formed, the queen laying eggs is restricted to the nest while the social wasps engage in protecting it. Social wasps are generally the workers who find food and defend the nest from external attacks or threats. The yellow jackets and hornets are social wasps. Wasps can live a solitary or social life, but a majority of the population thrives in hives. They are not commonly found in close contact with humans.

How long do Wasps live?

The longevity of wasps is highly dependent on their species. For instance, while worker wasps can live for 12-22 days, the queen might enjoy a longer span of almost a year. However, on average, wasps last for a few days with a maximum span of 22 days.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding process in the male and female wasps initiates with the nesting period when the females mate with the males and store the sperm for some time. The social wasps, like the paper wasps, build nests for their queen while the queen isolates herself in the nest. Not only do the worker wasps build nests, but they also cater to the queen by bringing food and protecting the nest from harm. The queens eventually lay eggs in the nest and wait till they hatch. The job of the queen is to enlarge the colony and raise more and more female wasps. Every summer or fall, the queen finds a new mate to build a new nest. In this way, the reproduction process continues, and the population of wasps expands.

What is their conservation status?

There are innumerable wasps spread across the entire world. As per the International Union For Conservation Of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes wasps under the species with the Least Concern since you can easily trace innumerable wasps across their several species.

Wasp Fun Facts

What do Wasps look like?

The most common variations among the several species of wasps are the yellow jackets, hornets, and paper wasps. As the name suggests, the yellow jackets are yellow in color with black streaks all over the body. They come with black antennae, a set of six legs, and two wings. On the other hand, a hornet has a brownish color with distinguishable orange spots and streaks, and they often have white spots on their heads. Lastly, a paper wasp also comes in the shade of brown with yellow or even red streaks. Nevertheless, they are different from the former as they possess longer legs and a somewhat slender body structure. Overall, these stinging insects are also very different from ants or bees (although they are relatives).

How cute are they?

Wasps do not score much on their cuteness quotient. In fact, on the contrary, you might freak out or get grossed out at the sight of one! A majority of the insects evoke the feeling of disgust among human beings. Although wasps come in bright shades, you might want to hurl a shoe instantaneously upon locating one - perhaps the same treatment that pests like cockroaches encounter. Moreover, their aggressive nature (of stinging) diminishes the cuteness quotient by a great deal.

How do they communicate?

Wasps are insects that do not engage in verbal forms of communication. They interact by releasing certain chemical compounds (such as pheromones) and hormones to signal danger, alert their compatriots, and summon others to allocate food. It can be said that they communicate with the help of smell. Modern research has recently concluded that these wasps engage in drumming their gasters (or abdomens) after tracing food. The act of drumming sends out signals to the other worker wasps about the presence of food nearby.

How big are Wasps?

Wasps have an average size and are not very big. Their length can go up to 1.5 in (up to 3.8 cm). This means that they are not as large as a bee. However, the hornet is the largest among all the wasps' species, with the ability to combat and devour a spider as large as the tarantula. Wasps have a more slender body as compared to a bee.

How fast can Wasps fly?

Wasps have an average speed and can cover a few miles. Among all the species, the Asian hornet is known to acquire the fastest speed of 40 km/hr. The speed of the yellow jackets can reach 70 km/hr.

How much do Wasps weigh?

The weight of a wasp depends on its species. Normally, the weight of a common wasp ranges around 1.4 grains (90 mg). The weight of the worker wasps ranges between 0.15-0.3 grains (10-19 mg), and the paper wasps have a similar weight range, while a drone wasp can weigh up to 2.3 grains (150 mg).

What are their male and female names of the species?

No specific names have been attributed to the species, so they are referred to as male drones and female wasps, respectively.

What would you call a baby Wasp?

According to its growth or development stage, a baby wasp can be regarded as a larva or even pupa.

What do they eat?

Wasps are omnivores which implies that they enjoy a diet enriched with several nutrients. Solitary wasps generally survive mostly on nectar that they derive from flowers or steal from the honeycombs. However, they feed their offspring with insects like caterpillars, spiders, or flies. The requirement for energy is satisfied mainly through the sugar or glucose derived from nectar.

Are they dangerous?

Wasps are stinging insects and can prove to be very dangerous when they feel threatened or agitated for some reason. Wasps themselves are not much of a problem as they like to stick to their work. However, if they encounter a situation that causes them to feel terrified, then there are high chances that they would attack. This attack is nothing but a defense mechanism. These insects are gifted with stingers that are quite different from those of the bees. Unlike bees, the stingers of the species are free of barbs that might get stuck inside human or animal flesh, and therefore, unlike bees, wasps can offer multiple stings. Wasp stings have the potentiality to inflict severe pain. Pheromone is emitted when wasps sting, and this acts as a signal to call an army of soldier wasps that comes to the rescue of the threatened insect.

Would they make a good pet?

Although several attempts have been made to domesticate wasps by maintaining wasp colony, they are best left with their hive members. Paper wasps are categorized under social wasps, and they might survive as a pet, but their longevity is greatly affected when they are shifted from their natural habitat and colony. Hence, it can be summed up that wasps do not make good pets as they like to be on their own.

Kidadl Advisory: All pets should only be bought from a reputable source. It is recommended that as a potential pet owner you carry out your own research prior to deciding on your pet of choice. Being a pet owner is very rewarding but it also involves commitment, time and money. Ensure that your pet choice complies with the legislation in your state and/or country. You must never take animals from the wild or disturb their habitat. Please check that the pet you are considering buying is not an endangered species, or listed on the CITES list, and has not been taken from the wild for the pet trade.

Did you know...

Here are some fun facts about wasps and bees that are stupefying.

Although wasps are not too big in size, they know how to distinguish between harmful and harmless.

Solitary female wasps can thrive independently.

Wasps create papery nests made of wood fibers while the bees construct nests out of their own secretion of some waxy substance.

Wasps highly benefit our ecosystem as they eliminate almost all pests by preying on them.

Every spring, a new colony is created by the queen.

Although they lack teeth, they have antennae and a sweet tooth!

You might find them in the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Africa, and several other places, but you won't find a single wasp in Antarctica.

Solitary wasps act defensively, while social wasps use their stings to render severe attacks.

Wasps have the power of facial recognition. They can identify you just like they can identify their hive members.

Different types of Wasps

There are innumerable species of wasps all over the world. The species that have gained significance are the Asian giant hornet, European hornet, paper wasp, yellow jacket, red paper wasp, Australian hornet, and several others. There are 30,000 variations of the species and many other sub-species.

Wasps and humans

Wasps generally avoid human habitation as they often feel threatened by human presence. However, wasps have benefitted human civilization by offering great pest control solutions by feeding on other pests that damage crops. Nevertheless, they can be dangerous (especially when prone to allergies from venomous stings) and need to be removed. The best way to get rid of wasps is by spraying insecticides.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other arthropods including honey bee, or atlas beetle.

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Wasp coloring pages.

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Wasps are parasitic insects. Wasps belong to the class of Insecta. Wasps are parasitic insects that are available in abundance throughout the world. It is almost impossible to provide accurate data about the exact number of wasps in current existence. However, they have been identified to exist across the globe in the diversity of more than 30,000 species.

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Whenever someone adopts a parrot, they tend to want to know where they came from. As great as it is to have the pet store or breeder’s information about where they’ve been kept, it’s even ... Read more

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Most of the birds of the parrot family are known for their colorful feathers, noisy calls, and curved beaks. They are among the world's most popular pet birds. They are smart...

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platypus, ( Ornithorhynchus anatinus), also called duckbill, a small amphibious Australian mammal noted for its odd combination of primitive features and special adaptations, especially the flat, almost comical bill that early observers thought was that of a duck sewn onto the body of a mammal. Adding to its distinctive appearance are conspicuous white patches of fur under the eyes. The fur on the rest of the body is dark to light brown above, with lighter fur on the underside.

The platypus is common in waterways of eastern Australia, where it generally feeds on bottom-dwelling invertebrates but also takes an occasional frog, fish, or insect at the water's surface. This shy creature forages most actively from dusk to dawn, sheltering during the day in burrows dug into stream banks. It is exquisitely adapted for its aquatic lifestyle, having a flattened torpedo-like body, dense waterproof fur, and strong front limbs used for swimming as well as digging. Even the head is streamlined, each ear being housed in a groove together with a small eye. The senses of sight, smell, and hearing are essentially shut down while the platypus is submerged to feed, but it possesses a unique electromechanical system of electroreceptors and touch receptors that allow it to navigate perfectly underwater. Similar electroreceptors are also present in echidnas, which, together with the platypus, make up the mammalian order Monotremata, a unique group with an exceptionally ancient history.

Natural history

Platypuses are generally solitary, spending their lives either feeding along the bottoms of rivers, streams, and lakes or resting in burrows dug into the banks. They are extremely energetic, feeding almost continuously while in the water, shoveling through streambed debris with their flat bills as they hunt for larval insects and freshwater crustaceans (a favourite food). The platypus uses its sophisticated electromechanical system to detect minute electrical signals given off by the muscles of its prey. After feeding, it retires to its burrow, the entrance of which is large enough to admit only the platypus and serves to squeeze excess moisture from the fur.

The platypus is found in terrain ranging from the high country of Tasmania and the Australian Alps to lowland areas close to the sea. Although it has on occasion been seen swimming in salt water, the platypus must feed in fresh water, where its electrical navigation system is operative. The platypus is present in all eastern Australian states in both eastward- and westward-flowing river systems, but it is absent from far northern Queensland and, unlike its relatives, the echidnas, does not appear to have colonized the island of New Guinea.

Generally most active around dawn and dusk (crepuscular), platypuses can also be active during the day depending on the season, cloud cover, stream productivity, and even individual preference. Platypuses are not known to hibernate. However, they have an unusually low body temperature for mammals (about 32 °C [90 °F]). Studies have shown that they can maintain a constant body temperature even after extended periods in water with temperatures as low as 4 °C (39 °F), a fact that puts to rest the belief that monotremes cannot regulate their body temperature.

Form and function

Platypuses range in length from 38 to 60 cm (15 to 24 inches); males are generally larger than females. Aquatic adaptations include the flat streamlined body, dorsally placed eyes and nostrils, and dense waterproof fur that keeps the platypus well insulated. Long guard hairs protect the soft underfur, which remains dry even after hours in the water. The extensive webbing on the front feet extends well past the claws and is essential in propelling the animal through the water. The paddlelike tail acts as a stabilizer during swimming, while the back feet act as rudders and brakes.

Odd skeletal features of platypuses include an archaic robust shoulder girdle and a short, wide humerus providing extensive muscle attachment areas for the exceptionally strong front limbs. The outside of the bill is covered by soft, sensitive skin. Inside the bill, adult platypuses do not have true teeth but instead have developed flat pads of hardened gum tissue. Male platypuses have a spur on the inner side of each ankle that is connected to a venom gland located over the thighs. The spurs can be wielded in defense, and the venom is potent enough to kill small animals and cause intense pain in humans if the spur penetrates the skin.

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Platypus | Eggs, Habitat, Venom, & Facts

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platypus, (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), also called duckbill, a small amphibious Australian mammal noted for its odd combination of primitive features and special adaptations, especially the flat, almost comical bill that early observers thought was that of a duck sewn onto the body of a mammal.

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What Is A Platypus? 10 Facts about the Platypus!

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Why wasps are just as wonderful as bees | BBC Ideas

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Wasp Facts: aka HORNET FACTS | Animal Fact Files

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This article was most recently revised and updated by

Wasp, any member of a group of insects in the order Hymenoptera, suborder Apocrita, some of which are stinging. Wasps are distinguished from the ants and bees of Apocrita by various behavioral and physical characteristics, particularly their possession of a slender, smooth body and legs with relatively few hairs. Wasps also generally are predatory or parasitic and have stingers with few barbs that can be removed easily from their victims. Similar to other members of Apocrita, wasps have a narrow petiole, or "waist," which attaches the abdomen to the thorax.

Wasps have biting mouthparts and antennae with 12 or 13 segments. They are normally winged. In stinging species, only the females are provided with a formidable sting, which involves use of a modified ovipositor (egg-laying structure) for piercing and venom-producing glands. Adult wasps may feed on nectar and, in some species, on the secretions produced by larvae. Larvae of predatory wasp species typically feed on insects, while larvae of parasitic species feed on their hosts.

Wasps are subdivided into two groups: solitary wasps, which live alone, and social wasps, which live in colonies. Of the tens of thousands of species of wasps that have been described, the vast majority are solitary in habit. The social wasps are confined to about 1,000 species within the family Vespidae (superfamily Vespoidea) and include the hornets and yellow jackets (yellowjackets). They differ from other wasp families in having their wings folded longitudinally when at rest.

Discover the nightmarish reproductive habits of the world's largest wasps with the most painful stings

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. See all videos for this article

Solitary wasps are distributed in the superfamilies Chrysidoidea, Vespoidea, and Apoidea. Most species build isolated nests, which they provision with paralyzed insects or spiders. The female wasp deposits an egg in each cell of the nest, and the wasp larva hatching from that egg feeds to maturity upon the food with which its cell has been provisioned. The vast majority of solitary wasps nest in the ground, digging tunnels in the soil in which to lay their eggs. But the Sphecidae, or thread-waisted wasps (superfamily Apoidea), contain forms of more diverse habits, with some nesting in wood, pithy plant stems, or in nests made of mud. Spider wasps (Pompilidae) usually build nests in rotten wood or in rock crevices and provision them with spiders. The potter, or mason, wasps (subfamily Eumeninae) of the Vespidae build nests of mud, which are sometimes vaselike or juglike and may be found attached to twigs or other objects.

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The social wasps within the family Vespidae are among the best-known species of wasps. Most of them belong to the subfamilies Vespinae or Polistinae. In their societies they have a caste system consisting of one or several queens, a few drones (males), and sterile females called workers. The queen, a fertilized female, begins the colony in the spring by building a small nest and laying eggs that hatch into workers. The latter enlarge the paperlike nest, which is composed of chewed dry plant material, usually wood, that has been mixed with saliva and regurgitated. The nest consists of one or more layers of cells that are arranged vertically with the openings downward. Depending on the species, the nest may be found in cavities in the soil, in tree trunks, or hanging from leaves, branches, or the eaves of buildings.

Anthony Bannister-NHPA/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

The most familiar social wasps in northern temperate regions are species of the genera Polistes, Vespa, and Vespula. Many are large and aggressive and are equipped with formidable stings. Some Vespula species are called yellow jackets owing to the black and yellow bands on their abdomen. Species of Vespa are called hornets, which are mostly black, with yellowish markings on the face, thorax, and the tip of the abdomen. The Asian giant hornet ( Vespa mandarinia) is the largest known hornet in the world, with some workers growing to nearly 4 cm (1.6 inches) in body length and queens typically exceeding that size.

Four major groups of solitary wasps are parasitic and do not construct nests. These are the cuckoo wasps (family Chrysididae) in the superfamily Chrysidoidea, and the tiphiid wasps (family Tiphiidae), scoliid wasps (family Scoliidae), and velvet ants (family Mutillidae) in the superfamily Vespoidea. Cuckoo wasps are mostly brilliant metallic-green or -blue in colour and have intricate sculpturing on the exoskeleton. They lay their eggs in the nests of solitary bees or wasps. The larvae hatching from those eggs feed on the bee or wasp larvae or on the food provisioned by the latter's parents. The velvet ants have bodies clothed with long thick hair of contrasting colours, often black and red. The females are wingless and antlike in appearance. Most of them are parasitic on the larvae and pupae of solitary bees and wasps. Most species of tiphiid and scoliid wasps parasitize beetle grubs that live in the soil.

Walter Dawn

Robert Lewis, Assistant Editor.

Learn More in these related Britannica articles:

wasps), and Diptera (true flies)....

chalcids, sawflies, wasps, and lesser-known types. Except in the polar regions, they are abundant in most habitats, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions....

Few wasps feed their young pollen or nectar. Yellow jackets, however, occurring occasionally in large numbers and visiting flowers for nectar for their own consumption, may assume local importance as pollinators. These insects prefer brownish-purple flowers with easily accessible nectar, such as those of...

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This article was most recently revised and updated by Wasp, any member of a group of insects in the order Hymenoptera, suborder Apocrita, some of which are stinging. Wasps are distinguished from the ants and bees of Apocrita by various behavioral and physical characteristics, particularly their possession of a slender, smooth body and legs with relatively few hairs.

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WHALES - learning video for Kids - educational video for children

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

Fast blue whale facts

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Images ⓒ: 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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Blue whale facts for kids: learn about these mega mammals, with facts about blue whale size, characteristics, diet, range, behaviour and migration patterns

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Largest Known Marine Stingray Study | National Geographic

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Learn how the southern stingray moves through the ocean waters in search of preyVideo footage by Ziggy Livnat, www.ForTheSea.com

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Stingrays have broad fins that run the full length of their bodies, giving them a flat, roundish shape. To swim, some stingrays move their whole bodies in a wavy motion that propels them through the water. Other species flap their fins like bird wings and "fly" through the water.

​Stingrays have tails that are armed for defense. Some kinds of stingrays have a spine in their tail with a very sharp point and edges that are serrated or notched.

Many species, including the exotic-looking blue-spotted stingray, have venom that is delivered through their tails. That venom, and the spine itself, can be dangerous to humans. Stingrays prefer shallow, near-shore waters in warm parts of the world. Here, they spend most of their time lying partially buried on the ocean floor hiding from predators, like sharks, or waiting for prey to swim by. Their colors usually match the mud or sand they hide in. While a stingray's mouth is on the underside of its body, along with its nostrils and gill slits, its eyes are on the top. Scientists don't think they use their eyes for hunting very much though. Instead, they use special sensors called ampullae of Lorenzini, which can detect the tiny electrical charges emitted by their prey.​

​Prey for stingrays includes clams, oysters, shrimps, crabs, and mussels. When they find dinner, stingrays crush their meal using strong jaws. Generally, female stingrays give birth once a year. They usually have two to six young at a time. While a baby stingray is still inside its mother, it grows to be quite large and developed so that when it's born, it looks like a little adult. From birth, the young stingray is able to fend for itself.

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Stingrays, with their wide, flat bodies, may not look like fish, but they are. They are related to sharks, and like their shark cousins, they do not have bones. Instead, their bodies are supported by cartilage-the same material that you feel inside the tip of your nose.

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Stingray, any of a number of flat-bodied rays noted for the long, sharp spines on their tails. They are sometimes placed in a single family, Dasyatidae, but often separated into two families, Dasyatidae and Urolophidae. Stingrays are disk-shaped and have flexible, tapering tails armed, in most species, with one or more saw-edged, venomous spines.

© Mickey Gibson/Animals Animals

The dasyatid stingrays, also called whip-tailed rays and stingarees, inhabit all oceans and certain South American rivers. They have slim, often very long, whiplike tails. They vary in size: Dasyatis sabina, a small western North Atlantic species, is mature at a width of about 25 cm (10 inches), but the Australian D. brevicaudata reportedly attains a width of about 2 metres (7 feet) and a length of 4 metres. The urolophid, or round stingrays, are considerably smaller, the largest attaining a length of about 75 cm. Round stingrays have relatively short tails and well-developed tail fins. They are found in the Pacific and western Atlantic.

Stingrays inhabit warm temperate and tropical waters, sometimes in great abundance. They are bottom dwellers and often lie partially buried in the shallows. Stingrays eat worms, mollusks, and other invertebrates, sometimes badly damaging valuable shellfish beds. They lash their tails when stepped on, and large stingrays can exert enough force to drive their tail spines into a wooden boat. The spines cause serious, extremely painful wounds that, if abdominal, may result in death.

© Ian Scott/Fotolia

Certain other rays may also possess tail spines. Some of the manta rays and eagle rays are so armed. The latter, forming the family Myliobatidae, comprise several genera found in warm and temperate coastal waters. They have very long, slim tails and, unlike other rays, have heads that project beyond the body disk. Notable members of this family include the spotted duckbilled ray (Aetobatus narinari), a large Atlantic and Pacific species that can cause deep wounds with its tail spines, and the bat stingray ( Myliobatis californicus), a Pacific form noted for its depredations on the shellfish of San Francisco Bay.

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Two other families, the butterfly rays (Gymnuridae) and cow-nosed rays (Rhinopteridae), are found in shallow coastal waters of tropical and warm temperate seas and reach widths of about 2 metres.

The possible existence of another stingray family, consisting of deepwater species, was indicated in 1981 with the identification of Hexatrygon bickelli. The specimen, found on the coast of South Africa, showed unique adaptations to deepwater life and was classified by its discoverers in a separate family and suborder.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Adam Augustyn, Managing Editor, Reference Content.

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stingray | Definition, Species, Habitat, Size, & Facts

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Stingray, any of a number of flat-bodied rays noted for the long, sharp spines on their tails. Stingrays are disk-shaped and have flexible, tapering tails armed, in most species, with one or more saw-edged, venomous spines. They inhabit warm temperate and tropical waters, sometimes in great abundance.

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You probably recognize large talking parrots found in some pet stores as parrots, but did you know parakeets, cockatiels and cockatoos are also types of parrots? There are over 350 kinds of parrots and they all live in warm places.

Parrots live in rainforests and woodlands in Africa, Australia, Asia, Central America, and South America.

Parrots have a special talent -they can imitate human speech. They're not talking to communicate, but they can say words and even sing.

Fun Facts about Parrots for Kids

Parrots eat fruit, nuts, seeds, buds, flowers and even insects.

Parrots can live up to 80 years old.

It is illegal to keep a wild parrot as a pet.

Some parrots are brightly colored. Others are mostly white or gray.

Parrots have curved beaks.

Winston Churchill and King Henry VIII kept parrots as pets.

Parrot Vocabulary

Learn More All About Parrots

Watch this really amazing video of a parrot:

A video of Einstein the talking parrot.

Parrot Q&A

Question: Do all parrots live in tropical areas?

Answer: The Keas live in the mountains of New Zealand. They pester skiers at the ski resorts. They pick at skiers' luggage and steal food and other small items.

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Question: Do parrots fly?

Answer: Most parrots do fly, but they also spend a lot of time climbing trees and branches.

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

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You probably recognize large talking parrots found in some pet stores as parrots, but did you know parakeets, cockatiels and cockatoos are also types of parrots? There are over 350 kinds of parrots and they all live in warm places. Parrots live in rainforests and woodlands in Africa, Australia, Asia, Central America, and South America.

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Parrots are birds of the order Psittaciformes. There are roughly 372 species in 86 genera and they are found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The greatest diversity of parrots is found in South America and Australasia.

Parrots are intelligent birds. They have relatively large brains, they can learn, and they can use simple tools. Because some species have the ability to make sounds like human voices and have plumages with bright colors, many species are kept as pets. This includes some endangered and protected species.

Description

Parrots have a heavy, in relation to their size, and compact body with a large head and a short neck. Their beaks are short, strong and curved. The two parts of the beak are very strong and used to break fruits and seeds. The tongue is large and strong.

They have strong legs, and clawed zygodactyl feet (with two toes facing forward and two toes facing back) that are very useful to climb up trees. Many parrots are vividly coloured, and some are multi-coloured. The plumage of cockatoos ranges from mostly white to mostly black, with a mobile crest of feathers on the tops of their heads. Most parrots exhibit little or no sexual dimorphism.

They form the most variably sized bird order in terms of length. The smallest of the parrots is the pigmy parrot ( Micropsitta pusio) with and adult weight of 11.5 g (0.41 oz) and a length of 8.6 cm (3.4 in). With a length (from the top of its head to the tip of its long pointed tail) of about 95 cm (37 in), the hyacinth macaw ( Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is longer than any other species of parrot, although half that length is tail.

Classification

The order is subdivided into three superfamilies: the Psittacoidea ('true' parrots), the Cacatuoidea (cockatoos) and the Strigopoidea (New Zealand parrots). The greatest diversity of parrots is found in South America and Australasia.

Numerous challenges are found in studying wild parrots, as they are difficult to catch and once caught, they are difficult to mark. Most wild bird studies rely on banding or wing tagging, but parrots chew off such attachments. Parrots also tend to range widely, and consequently many gaps occur in knowledge of their behaviour. Some parrots have a strong, direct flight. Most species spend much of their time perched or climbing in tree canopies. They often use their bills for climbing by gripping or hooking on branches and other supports. On the ground, parrots often walk with a rolling gait.

The diet of parrots consists of seeds, fruit, nectar, pollen, buds, and sometimes arthropods and other animal prey. The most important of these for most true parrots and cockatoos are seeds; the large and powerful bill has evolved to open and consume tough seeds. All true parrots, except the Pesquet's parrot, employ the same method to obtain the seed from the husk; the seed is held between the mandibles and the lower mandible crushes the husk, whereupon the seed is rotated in the bill and the remaining husk is removed. They may use their foot sometimes to hold large seeds in place. Parrots are granivores rather than seed dispersers, and in many cases where they are seen consuming fruit, they are only eating the fruit to get at the seed. As seeds often have poisons that protect them, parrots carefully remove seed coats and other chemically defended fruit parts prior to ingestion. Many species in the Americas, Africa, and Papua New Guinea consume clay, which releases minerals and absorbs toxic compounds from the gut.

Geographical range and body size predominantly explains diet composition of Neotropical parrots rather than phylogeny.

Lories, lorikeets, hanging parrots, and swift parrots are primarily nectar and pollen consumers, and have tongues with brush tips to collect it, as well as some specialised gut adaptations. Many other species also consume nectar when it becomes available.

Some parrot species prey on animals, especially invertebrate larvae. Golden-winged parakeets prey on water snails, the New Zealand kea can, though uncommonly, hunts adult sheep, and the Antipodes parakeet, another New Zealand parrot, enters the burrows of nesting grey-backed storm petrels and kills the incubating adults. Some cockatoos and the New Zealand kaka excavate branches and wood to feed on grubs; the bulk of the yellow-tailed black cockatoo's diet is made up of insects.

Some extinct parrots had carnivorous diets. Pseudasturids were probably cuckoo- or puffbird-like insectivores, while messelasturids were raptor-like carnivores.

With few exceptions, parrots are monogamous breeders who nest in cavities and hold no territories other than their nesting sites. The pair bonds of the parrots and cockatoos are strong and a pair remains close during the nonbreeding season, even if they join larger flocks. As with many birds, pair bond formation is preceded by courtship displays; these are relatively simple in the case of cockatoos. In Psittacidae parrots' common breeding displays, usually undertaken by the male, include slow, deliberate steps known as a "parade" or "stately walk" and the "eye-blaze", where the pupil of the eye constricts to reveal the edge of the iris. Allopreening is used by the pair to help maintain the bond. Cooperative breeding, where birds other than the breeding pair help raise the young and is common in some bird families, is extremely rare in parrots, and has only unambiguously been demonstrated in the El Oro parakeet and the golden parakeet (which may also exhibit polygamous, or group breeding, behaviour with multiple females contributing to the clutch).

Only the monk parakeet and five species of lovebirds build nests in trees, and three Australian and New Zealand ground parrots nest on the ground. All other parrots and cockatoos nest in cavities, either tree hollows or cavities dug into cliffs, banks, or the ground. The use of holes in cliffs is more common in the Americas. Many species use termite nests, possibly to reduce the conspicuousness of the nesting site or to create a favourable microclimate. In most cases, both parents participate in the nest excavation. The length of the burrow varies with species, but is usually between 0.5 and 2 m (1.6 and 6.6 ft) in length. The nests of cockatoos are often lined with sticks, wood chips, and other plant material. In the larger species of parrots and cockatoos, the availability of nesting hollows may be limited, leading to intense competition for them both within the species and between species, as well as with other bird families. The intensity of this competition can limit breeding success in some cases. Hollows created artificially by arborists have proven successful in boosting breeding rates in these areas. Some species are colonial, with the burrowing parrot nesting in colonies up to 70,000 strong. Coloniality is not as common in parrots as might be expected, possibly because most species adopt old cavities rather than excavate their own.

The eggs of parrots are white. In most species, the female undertakes all the incubation, although incubation is shared in cockatoos, the blue lorikeet, and the vernal hanging parrot. The female remains in the nest for almost all of the incubation period and is fed both by the male and during short breaks. Incubation varies from 17 to 35 days, with larger species having longer incubation periods. The newly born young are altricial, either lacking feathers or with sparse white down. The young spend three weeks to four months in the nest, depending on species, and may receive parental care for several months thereafter.

As typical of K-selected species, the macaws and other larger parrot species have low reproductive rates. They require several years to reach maturity, produce one or very few young per year, and do not necessarily breed every year.

Intelligence and learning

Some grey parrots have shown an ability to associate words with their meanings and form simple sentences. Along with crows, ravens, and jays (family Corvidae), parrots are considered the most intelligent of birds. The brain-to-body size ratio of psittacines and corvines is comparable to that of higher primates. Instead of using the cerebral cortex like mammals, birds use the mediorostral HVC for cognition. Not only have parrots demonstrated intelligence through scientific testing of their language-using ability, but also some species of parrots, such as the kea, are also highly skilled at using tools and solving puzzles.

Learning in early life is apparently important to all parrots, and much of that learning is social learning. Social interactions are often practised with siblings, and in several species, crèches are formed with several broods. Foraging behaviour is generally learnt from parents, and can be a very protracted affair. Generalists and specialists generally become independent of their parents much quicker than partly specialised species who may have to learn skills over long periods as various resources become seasonally available. Play forms a large part of learning in parrots; play can be solitary or social. Species may engage in play fights or wild flights to practice predator evasion. An absence of stimuli can delay the development of young birds, as demonstrated by a group of vasa parrots kept in tiny cages with domesticated chickens from the age of 3 months; at 9 months, these birds still behaved in the same way as 3-month-olds, but had adopted some chicken behaviour. In a similar fashion, captive birds in zoo collections or pets can, if deprived of stimuli, develop stereotyped and harmful behaviours like self-plucking. Aviculturists working with parrots have identified the need for environmental enrichment to keep parrots stimulated.

Sound imitation and speech

Many parrots can imitate human speech or other sounds. A study by scientist Irene Pepperberg suggested a high learning ability in an grey parrot named Alex. Alex was trained to use words to identify objects, describe them, count them, and even answer complex questions such as "How many red squares?" with over 80% accuracy. N'kisi, another grey parrot, has been shown to have a vocabulary around a thousand words, and has displayed an ability to invent and use words in context in correct tenses.

Parrots do not have vocal cords, so sound is accomplished by expelling air across the mouth of the trachea in the organ called the syrinx. Different sounds are produced by changing the depth and shape of the trachea. Grey parrots are known for their superior ability to imitate sounds and human speech, which has made them popular pets since ancient times.

Although most parrot species are able to imitate, some of the amazon parrots are generally regarded as the next-best imitators and speakers of the parrot world. The question of why birds imitate remains open, but those that do often score very high on tests designed to measure problem-solving ability. Wild grey parrots have been observed imitating other birds.

Cooperation

The journal Animal Cognition stated that some birds preferred to work alone, while others like to work together as with grey parrots. With two parrots, they know the order of tasks or when they should do something together at once, but they have trouble exchanging roles. With three parrots, one parrot usually prefers to cooperate with one of the other two, but all of them are cooperating to solve the task.

Relationship with humans

Parrots may not make good pets for most people because of their natural wild instincts such as screaming and chewing. Although parrots can be very affectionate and cute when immature, they often become aggressive when mature (partly due to mishandling and poor training) and may bite, causing serious injury. For this reason, parrot rescue groups estimate that most parrots are surrendered and rehomed through at least five homes before reaching their permanent destinations or before dying prematurely from unintentional or intentional neglect and abuse. The parrots' ability to mimic human words and their bright colours and beauty prompt impulse buying from unsuspecting consumers. The domesticated budgerigar, a small parrot, is the most popular of all pet bird species. In 1992, the newspaper published that 11 million pet birds were in the United States alone, many of them parrots. Europeans kept birds matching the description of the rose-ringed parakeet (or called the ring-necked parrot), documented particularly in a first-century account by Pliny the Elder. As they have been prized for thousands of years for their beauty and ability to talk, they have also often been misunderstood. For example, author Wolfgang de Grahl says in his 1987 book The Grey Parrot that some importers had parrots drink only coffee while they were shipped by boat, believing that pure water was detrimental and that their actions would increase survival rates during shipping. Nowadays, it is commonly accepted that the caffeine in coffee is toxic to birds.

Pet parrots may be kept in a cage or aviary; though generally, tame parrots should be allowed out regularly on a stand or gym. Depending on locality, parrots may be either wild-caught or be captive-bred, though in most areas without native parrots, pet parrots are captive-bred. Parrot species that are commonly kept as pets include conures, macaws, amazon parrots, cockatoos, greys, lovebirds, cockatiels, budgerigars, caiques, parakeets, and , Pionus, and Poicephalus species. Temperaments and personalities vary even within a species, just as with dog breeds. Grey parrots are thought to be excellent talkers, but not all grey parrots want to talk, though they have the capability to do so. Noise level, talking ability, cuddliness with people, and care needs can sometimes depend on how the bird is cared for and the attention he/she regularly receives.

Parrots invariably require an enormous amount of attention, care, and intellectual stimulation to thrive, akin to that required by a three-year-old child, which many people find themselves unable to provide in the long term. Parrots that are bred for pets may be hand fed or otherwise accustomed to interacting with people from a young age to help ensure they become tame and trusting. However, even when hand fed, parrots revert to biting and aggression during hormonal surges and if mishandled or neglected. Parrots are not low-maintenance pets; they require feeding, grooming, veterinary care, training, environmental enrichment through the provision of toys, exercise, and social interaction (with other parrots or humans) for good health.

Some large parrot species, including large cockatoos, amazons, and macaws, have very long lifespans, with 80 years being reported, and record ages of over 100. Small parrots, such as lovebirds, hanging parrots, and budgies, have shorter lifespans up to 15-20 years. Some parrot species can be quite loud, and many of the larger parrots can be destructive and require a very large cage, and a regular supply of new toys, branches, or other items to chew up. The intelligence of parrots means they are quick to learn tricks and other behaviours-both good and bad-that get them what they want, such as attention or treats.

The popularity, longevity, and intelligence of many of the larger kinds of pet parrots and their wild traits such as screaming, has led to many birds needing to be rehomed during the course of their long lifespans. A common problem is that large parrots that are cuddly and gentle as juveniles mature into intelligent, complex, often demanding adults who can outlive their owners, and can also become aggressive or even dangerous. Due to an increasing number of homeless parrots, they are being euthanised like dogs and cats, and parrot adoption centres and sanctuaries are becoming more common. Parrots do not often do well in captivity, causing some parrots to go insane and develop repetitive behaviours, such as swaying and screaming, or they become riddled with intense fear. Feather destruction and self-mutilation, although not commonly seen in the wild, occur frequently in captivity.

Conservation

The capture of wild parrots for the pet trade, as well as hunting, habitat loss and competition from invasive species, has diminished wild populations, with parrots being subjected to more exploitation than any other group of birds. Measures taken to conserve the habitats of some high-profile species have also protected many of the less charismatic species living in the same ecosystems.

Some parrots live up to 80 years. Many parrots can imitate human speech; they can speak simple words if repeated a few times.

Origins and evolution

Transposons in the genomes of passerines and parrots are similar, but those in the genomes of other birds are not. This is strong evidence that parrots are the sister group of passerines.

Europe is the origin of the first presumed parrot fossils, which date from about 50 million years ago (mya). The climate there and then was tropical. Several fairly complete skeletons of parrot-like birds have been found in England and Germany. On the whole it seems likely that these are not direct ancestors of the modern parrots, but related lineages which evolved in the northern hemisphere, and which have since died out.

The earliest records of modern parrots date to about 23-20 mya and are also from Europe. Subsequently, the fossil record-again mainly from Europe-consists of bones clearly recognisable as belonging to parrots of modern type. The southern hemisphere does not have nearly as rich a fossil record for this period as the northern, and contains no known parrot-like remains earlier than the early to middle Miocene, around 20 mya. The first unambiguous parrot fossil (as opposed to a parrot-like one) is found in the Miocene. It is an upper jaw, identical that of modern cockatoos.

Related pages

Images for kids

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Parrots are birds of the order Psittaciformes. There are roughly 372 species in 86 genera and they are found in most tropical and subtropical regions. The greatest diversity of parrots is found in South America and Australasia. Parrots are intelligent birds. They have relatively large brains, they can learn, and they can use simple tools.

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Sea snakes seem pretty cool. Although all snakes can swim, sea snakes live mostly in the water. They do need to come up for air but can stay under water for up to an hour! Wow, try holding your breath that long! Since they need air regularly they are usually found in shallow waters of the Indian Ocean, and warmer areas of the Pacific Ocean. They eat fish, fish eggs and eels that they find under rocks and in reefs.

There are about 30-50 different types of sea snakes and they belong to the Cobra family. The average Sea snake grows to about 2 meters long and has a smallish head for its body size. Their tails are flattened to make fast swimming possible and flaps over their nostrils close when they are underwater.

Sea snakes are very poisonous. The most poisonous one is the Beaked Sea Snake. Just 3 drops of venom can kill about 8 people! Fortunately, these snakes have short fangs and they are unable to bite through diver's suits very easily. They are not likely to bite unless threatened. Their other methods of defense include to spray a stinky, musky liquid or to poop. Eew!

Eels are sometimes mistaken for Sea Snakes. Eels are part of the fish family and have gills for breathing. Sea snakes do not have gills but lungs instead and need to go to the surface for air.

Sea Kraits are one of the few sea snakes that go to land to lay their eggs while most others, like the Olive sea snake will give birth in the water.

Photo Source: National Geographic
Photographer: Sam Abell

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Snake Facts - Sea Snakes and Water Snakes

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Sea snakes seem pretty cool. Although all snakes can swim, sea snakes live mostly in the water. They do need to come up for air but can stay under water for up to an hour! Wow, try holding your breath that long!

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Scientific Name:

Dasypodidae

Average Life Span In Captivity:

12 to 15 years

Weight:

3 ounces to 120 pounds

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

Of the 20 varieties of armadillo, all but one live in Latin America. The familiar nine-banded armadillo is the only species that includes the United States in its range.

Armadillo is a Spanish word meaning "little armored one" and refers to the bony plates that cover the back, head, legs, and tail of most of these odd looking creatures. Armadillos are the only living mammals that wear such shells.

Closely related to anteaters and sloths, armadillos generally have a pointy or shovel-shaped snout and small eyes. They vary widely in size and color, from the 6-inch-long, salmon-colored pink fairy armadillo to the 5-foot-long, dark-brown giant armadillo. Others have black, red, gray, or yellowish coloring.

Contrary to popular belief, not all armadillos are able to encase themselves in their shells. In fact, only the three-banded armadillo can, curling its head and back feet and contorting its shell into a hard ball that confounds would-be predators.

Habitat and Diet

Armadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts. Because of their low metabolic rate and lack of fat stores, cold is their enemy, and spates of intemperate weather can wipe out whole populations.

Most species dig burrows and sleep prolifically, up to 16 hours per day, foraging in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants, termites, and other insects. They have very poor eyesight, and utilize their keen sense of smell to hunt. Strong legs and huge front claws are used for digging, and long, sticky tongues for extracting ants and termites from their tunnels. In addition to bugs, armadillos eat small vertebrates, plants, and some fruit, as well as the occassional carrion meal.

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Scientific Name: Dasypodidae Average Life Span In Captivity: 12 to 15 years Weight: 3 ounces to 120 pounds Size relative to a 6-ft man: Of the 20 varieties of armadillo, all but one live in Latin America. The familiar nine-banded armadillo is the only species that includes the United States in its range.

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