# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how dolphins eat, sleep, and live together. Bottlenose dolphins and orcas travel the ocean in pods.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Author: Godfrey R. Bourne, Pd

via Wikimedia

Back to Animals for Kids

The Gold Poison Frog, sometimes called the Gold Poison Dart or Gold Poison Arrow Frog, is an amphibian with the scientific name Phyllobates terribilis. It is most famous for its poisonous skin.

Where does it live?

The Gold Poison Frog lives near the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the South American country of Colombia. Its habitat is the rainforest, where there is lots of rain and the temperature is warm. They are social animals and live in groups of four to seven in the wild.

Author: Brian Gratwicke, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia

What does it eat?

The Gold Poison Frog eats what a lot of frogs eat; insects such as crickets, ants, termites, beetles, and flies. They use their long tongue to capture food from a distance.

How poisonous is it?

The Gold Poison Frog's poison is very dangerous. It has been known to kill humans and in fact there is enough poison in one frog to kill up to 10 humans. Its poison is called an alkaloid poison and it is all over the skin of the frog. Just touching the frog can kill. It is so poisonous that it could kill a small animal that touched a paper towel which the frog just walked across.

It is believed that the frogs get their poison from an insect that they eat. If they are in captivity long enough, they begin to get less poisonous. Gold Poison Frogs born in captivity are generally harmless.

What does the Gold Poison Dart Frog look like?

These frogs grow to between one and two inches long. Unlike their name, they are not all gold colored. They can come in a variety of bright colors from green to yellow to orange. Their bright colors are meant to ward off predators who sometimes will recognize the bright colors as something poisonous or that won't taste good. This type of defensive coloring is called aposematic coloring.

Is it endangered?

Yes these frogs are listed as endangered. Even though there are a good number of them in their habitat, their habitat is fairly small and is in danger of encroachment by people.

Fun facts about the Gold Poison Frog

The name Poison Dart Frog comes from the local natives who used its venom to poison the tips of their blowgun darts for hunting.

The poison can last for a long time. Dart or arrow tips that are soaked in the poison can remain deadly for years.

They are fairly peaceful frogs except during mating season when the males can get quite aggressive.

Medical researchers are looking into how to use the frog's poison to help people.

A group of these frogs is called an army.

There is a snake called the Leimadophis epinephelus that has some resistance to the frog's poison.

For more about reptiles and amphibians:

Reptiles
Alligators and Crocodiles
Eastern Diamondback Rattler
Green Anaconda
Green Iguana
King Cobra
Komodo Dragon
Sea Turtle

Amphibians
American Bullfrog
Colorado River Toad
Gold Poison Dart Frog
Hellbender
Red Salamander

Back toReptiles

Back toAnimals for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the Gold Poison Dart Frog, poisonous amphibians from South America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Giraffe: Learn all about the tallest animal on earth.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Giraffes are the world's tallest animals. Learn about this protected species found in Africa.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Octopuses are sea animals famous for their rounded bodies, bulging eyes, and eight long arms. They live in all the world's oceans but are especially abundant in warm, tropical waters. Octopuses, like their cousin, the squid, are often considered "monsters of the deep," though some species, or types, occupy relatively shallow waters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Octopuses are sea animals famous for their rounded bodies, bulging eyes, and eight long arms. They live in all the world's oceans but are especially abundant in warm, tropical waters. Octopuses, like their cousin, the squid, are often considered "monsters of the deep," though some species, or types, occupy relatively shallow waters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
These large owls mainly live in the Arctic in open, treeless areas called tundra. Snowy owls perch on the ground or on short posts. From there they patiently watch for prey. Their favorite target is lemmings-small mouselike rodents-but they also hunt for other small rodents, rabbits, birds, and fish.

Snowy owls have excellent eyesight, but they obviously can't see their prey when it's underneath snow or a thick layer of plants. To capture those meals, the owl relies on its other keen sense: hearing.

In flight, snowy owls generally cruise low to the ground. Once they spot their prey, they approach it from the air, and snatch it up using the large, sharp talons, or claws, on their feet.

Most owls sleep during the day and hunt at night, but the snowy owl is active during the day, especially in the summertime. They tend to be most active at dawn and dusk.

Snowy owl pairs usually mate for life. Female snowy owls lay from 3 to 11 eggs at a time, in a nest built on the ground. When there is plenty of food available, snowy owls tend to lay more eggs than when food is scarce.

Lemmings make up the main part of the snowy owls' diet, and lemming population numbers rise and fall naturally. Sometimes, if there is not enough prey around to feed baby owls, the adult pair won't lay any eggs at all until the supply of food improves.

The female snowy owl sits on her eggs until they hatch. The male feeds her while she keeps their eggs warm and safe. After about one month, the eggs hatch.

Babies are covered in soft white down when they hatch. As new feathers replace the down, the birds become light brown.

The young leave the nest less than a month after they hatch. By the time they're about a month and a half old, the young owls can fly well, but their parents take care of them for another ten weeks or more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When you see a snowy owl, it's clear how the bird probably got its name: they're snow-white. Males are generally whiter than females. As males grow older, they get whiter. The females never become completely white-remaining brownish with darker markings. These large owls mainly live in the Arctic in open, treeless areas called tundra.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Bactrian camels have two humps on their backs where they store fat. Their nostrils close to block sand, and their bushy eyebrows and two rows of long eyelashes protect their eyes from blowing sand and ice.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Bactrian camels have two humps on their backs where they store fat. Arabian camels, called dromedaries have only one hump, but both these types of camels use their stored fat as energy and water when they are far away from food and a freshwater source.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A female red-eyed tree frog has laid a batch of eggs on a leaf. She chose the spot carefully—the leaf hangs over a pond. When the eggs are ready to hatch, the tadpoles inside start swirling around vigorously. The activity breaks each egg open, releasing the little tadpoles. All the tadpoles wash dow…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Howler monkeys are the loudest of all monkeys. They call to let others know where their territory is, alerting them to stay away. The calls sound like a loud whooping bark or roar. After one group of howlers call, another group answers. Howler monkeys usually do this in the morning and at the end of the day.

These monkeys live in Central and South America. At home in the forest, they hardly ever leave the treetops. They don't move very far each day, feeding leisurely at the very top of the forest canopy. Howlers mainly eat leaves, as well as fruits, nuts, and flowers. Howler monkeys get almost all the water they need from the food they eat. One of the few times they can be spotted on the ground, however, is during very dry spells when they need to find extra water.

Howler monkeys have prehensile tails, or tails that can grip. The monkeys use their tails as a fifth limb to grip branches. Mostly it uses its tail to help grip branches as it eats and moves around high in the trees. Each family group is generally made up of 15 to 20 howlers. The leader is usually an old male. The head and body of adult howler monkeys range from 22 to 36 inches (55.8 to 91.4 centimeters) long and their tail can add 23 to 36 inches (58.4 to 91.4 centimeters).

Though most species are classified as least concern, the Yucatán Black is endangered.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Howler monkeys are the loudest of all monkeys. They call to let others know where their territory is, alerting them to stay away. The calls sound like a loud whooping bark or roar. After one group of howlers call, another group answers. Howler monkeys usually do this in the morning and at the end of the day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about Scorpions. These arachnids have eight legs, pincers, and a venomous stinger on their tail.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Blue whales are able to breathe air, but they are very comfortable in the ocean waters where buoyancy helps to support their incredible bulk. These mammals are found in all the world's oceans and often swim in small groups or alone.

A blue whale calf weighs two tons (1,814 kilograms) at birth and gains an extra 200 pounds (91 kilograms) each day of its first year. These giant creatures feed on tiny shrimplike animals called krill.

Only a few thousand blue whales are believed to swim the world's oceans. They were hunted for many years for their blubber and oil, and they were almost hunted to extinction. They were protected under the 1966 International Whaling Convention and are now considered to be an endangered species.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The blue whale is the largest mammal in the world. A blue whale calf weighs two tons (1,814 kilograms) at birth and gains an extra 200 pounds (91 kilograms) each day of its first year. Blue whales are able to breathe air, but they are very comfortable in the ocean waters where buoyancy helps to support their incredible bulk.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The beluga, or white whale, is one of the smallest species of whale. Their distinctive color and prominent foreheads make them easily identifiable.

Unlike most other whales, the beluga has a very flexible neck that enables it to nod and turn its head in all directions.

Belugas generally live together in small groups known as pods. They are social animals and vocal communicators using a diversified language of clicks, whistles, and clangs. Belugas can also copy a variety of other sounds.

These whales are common in the Arctic Ocean's coastal waters, though they are found in subarctic waters as well. Arctic belugas migrate southward in large herds when the sea freezes over.

Belugas feed on fish, crustaceans, and worms.

The whale is related to the tusked "unicorn" whale known as the narwhal.

The beluga is not related to the sturgeon of the same name, which has been heavily fished for its famous caviar.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The beluga, or white whale, is one of the smallest species of whale. Their distinctive color and prominent foreheads make them easily identifiable. Unlike most other whales, the beluga has a very flexible neck that enables it to nod and turn its head in all directions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Mexican axolotl (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) salamanders are amphibians that spend their whole lives underwater. They exist in the wild in only one place-the lake complex of Xochimilco (pronounced SO-chee-MILL-koh), a network of artificial channels, small lakes, and temporary wetlands that help supply water to nearby Mexico City's 18 million residents.

Axolotls have long fascinated scientists for their ability to regenerate lost body parts and for their rare trait of neoteny, which means they retain larval features throughout life. Rather than undergoing typical metamorphosis, axolotls keep their youthful appearance, including their tadpolelike dorsal fin and feathery external gills that fan out from the head. As they age, axolotls simply get bigger and bigger, like amphibious Peter Pans.

In rare cases, axolotls have matured past the larval stage and emerged onto land as adult salamanders. Neoteny doesn't affect the axolotl's ability to breed. Females mate with males and lay eggs underwater.

As Mexico City has grown, the lake complex has shrunk and parts have become contaminated, distressing the axolotl population. The introduction of large numbers of carp and tilapia fish, which compete with axolotls for food and also eat axolotl eggs, has further lowered their population. A 2009 survey suggests there are fewer than 1,200 axolotls in the Xochimilco Lake complex.

Axolotls feast on a menu of mollusks, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, and some fish.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Mexican axolotl (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) salamanders are amphibians that spend their whole lives underwater. They exist in the wild in only one place-the lake complex of Xochimilco (pronounced SO-chee-MILL-koh), a network of artificial channels, small lakes, and temporary wetlands that help supply water to nearby Mexico City's 18 million residents.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Honeybees live in colonies with one queen running the whole hive. Worker honeybees are all females and are the only bees most people ever see flying around outside of the hive. They forage for food, build the honeycombs, and protect the hive. Many species still occur in the wild, but honeybees are disappearing from hives due to colony collapse disorder. Scientists are not sure what is causing this collapse. Honeybees are important pollinators for flowers, fruits, and vegetables. They live on stored honey and pollen all winter and cluster into a ball to conserve warmth. All honeybees are social and cooperative insects. Members of the hive are divided into three types. Workers forage for food (pollen and nectar from flowers), build and protect the hive, clean, and circulate air by beating their wings. The queen’s job is simple—she lays the eggs that will spawn the hive’s next generation of bees. There is usually only a single queen in a hive. If the queen dies, workers will create a new queen by feeding one of the worker females a special food called “royal jelly.” This elixir enables the worker to develop into a fertile queen. Queens regulate the hive’s activities by producing chemicals that guide the behavior of the other bees. Male bees are called drones—the third class of honeybee. Several hundred drones live in each hive during the spring and summer, but they are expelled for the winter months when the hive goes into a lean survival mode.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Balanced on a rock in the middle of a river, a black bear lowers her head to the water and ... chomp! A wriggling salmon is no match for her strong jaws. She's spent the summer eating berries and roots-now she's eating all the salmon she can catch to gain as much weight as possible. She needs enough stored fat for her body to make milk for newborn cubs this winter.

ALL YOU CAN EAT

Black bears live throughout most of North America, including northern Mexico. They typically live in forests and are excellent tree climbers, even sleeping in trees during the summer. They're also found in mountains and swamps. Despite their name, black bears can be blue-gray or blue-black, brown, cinnamon, or even sometimes (rarely) white.

In addition to eating berries, roots, and salmon, black bears also prey on deer, moose, insects, and sometimes even carrion (dead animal flesh left behind by other predators). They're not picky eaters, since their goal is to store up as much body fat as possible before their winter hibernation.

NAP TIME

In late November and early December, black bears head to their dens to sleep away the winter, or hibernate. Their body temperature and heart rate are lowered, and their breathing slows down while they live off the huge amounts of body fat they stored up during the summer and fall. This way, they don't have to leave their dens and hunt for food in the bitter cold.

FAMILY BONDING

Male black bears leave their dens around mid-March, but females stay a little longer. That's because they give birth around January and want to give their cubs time to nurse and grow bigger before heading back outside in the early spring.

Black bear cubs stay with Mom for one to three years while she teaches them how to live in the wild. Then, when they're ready, they head off to survive in the woods alone-until they start a family of their own.

* Black bears are smaller than brown bears, often called grizzlies.

* Black bear cubs weigh less than one pound at birth. They gain 20 to 30 pounds in three months.

* Excellent swimmers, black bears can paddle at least a mile and a half in freshwater.

* A bear's claws can grow as long as a whiteboard eraser.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Balanced on a rock in the middle of a river, a black bear lowers her head to the water and ... chomp! A wriggling salmon is no match for her strong jaws. She's spent the summer eating berries and roots-now she's eating all the salmon she can catch to gain as much weight as possible.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
During the fall, a brown bear eats practically around the clock, stocking up for the four to seven months when it'll have to live off stored body fat. A brown bear may chow down on 90 pounds of food each day.

As the cold swoops in, the fattened bear waddles into a den among rocks or one it dug out among tree roots. The female brown bear enters her den pregnant with one (sometimes two or three) baby bears. The tiny bear, about the size of a chipmunk, is just strong enough to crawl into a position where it settles in to nurse. A female brown bear's milk is very rich in fat and calories, so the cub grows quickly.

By the time the adult bear wakes up in the spring, her baby is strong enough to follow her out of the den. Cubs live with their mothers for up to three years, and then they're usually ready to face life on their own.

Not all brown bears are grizzlies: Grizzly bears are a subspecies of brown bear.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
During the fall, a brown bear eats practically around the clock, stocking up for the four to seven months when it'll have to live off stored body fat. A brown bear may chow down on 90 pounds of food each day.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Great White Shark Drawing
Author: Robbie Cada, PD

Back to Animals

Great white sharks are the largest and most fierce predators in the ocean. The scientific name for this fish is the Carcharodon carcharias. The name comes from two Greek words meaning "sharp" and "tooth".

How big do they get?

They are giant fish that can grow to 20 feet long and 4000 pounds. Fully grown, Great White Sharks are at the top of the ocean's food chain. The only animals that will attack a great white shark are orca whales and other great white sharks. Great whites also have powerful jaws filled with lots of long teeth up to 2 1/2 inches long.

Great White Shark
Author: Sharkdiver68, PD, via Wikimedia Commons

Great whites have a white underbelly, but are darker on top. This gives them some camouflage from prey where they tend to blend in with the dark ocean floor when viewed from above and with the bright surface when viewed from below.

Great White Sharks have three major fins:

Dorsal fin - the one on top that can stick out of the water like in the movie Jaws.

Pectoral fins - there are two of these, one on each side of the shark

Caudal fin - the fin on the tail of the shark

What do they eat?

Sharks are carnivores that eat other animals. Younger and smaller great white sharks mostly eat other fish like tuna. However, fully grown great white sharks like to prey on sea mammals like sea lions and seals. They have even been known to take down whales, dolphins, and seabirds. Sharks don't chew their food, but will tear off big chunks of meat and swallow them whole.

Where do they live?

Great white sharks are found throughout the world's oceans generally in cool waters close to the coast. They live in areas where the water temperature stays between 54 and 75 degrees F. They are often found near Japan, Australia,South Africa, and both coasts of the United States.

What are baby great whites called?

A baby great white shark is called a pup. Pups are fairly large, 5 feet long, when they are born. The mothers don't take care of the pups when they are born and sometimes even try to eat them.

The Upper Teeth of a Great White Shark
Source: Smithsonian Institution

They Have Excellent Senses

One reason sharks, including great whites, are such good hunters is because they have excellent senses including smell, hearing, and sight. They also have a sensitive electro-receptive sense called the Ampullae of Lorenzini. Their sense of smell is so good that they can detect blood in the water from up to three miles away.

Fun Facts About Great White Sharks

Some great whites have been tracked swimming all the way from South Africa to Australia.

They may be big, but they can reach speeds of 40 miles per hour while swimming.

The shark is considered vulnerable on the endangered list and is protected in some areas.

Great whites do not do well in captivity. A few have lived beyond 6 months before being released back into the ocean.

They have a lifespan of around 25 years.

Shark skin is very rough and can be used as sandpaper.

They can roll their eyes back into their head to protect them.

For more about fish:

Brook Trout
Clownfish
The Goldfish
Great White Shark
Largemouth Bass
Lionfish
Ocean Sunfish Mola
Swordfish

Back toFish

Back toAnimals for Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about the Great White Shark, king of sea. This deadly shark is the leading predator of the ocean.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What are blue whales? Find out about the largest mammal on earth that lives in the ocean.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Giant Panda: Learn about the cuddly looking bear.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about giant panda bears from China. They eat bamboo in the mountains and are an endangered species.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
11 Amazing Snowy Owls Facts You Didn't Know [Must Check #6]