# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Image credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR)

Penguins are torpedo-shaped, flightless birds that live in the southern regions of the Earth. Though many people imagine a small, black-and-white animal when they think of penguins, these birds actually come in a variety of sizes, and some are very colorful.

For example, crested penguins sport a crown of yellow feathers. Blushes of orange and yellow mark the necks of emperor and king penguins. What look like bright yellow, bushy eyebrows adorn the heads of some species, such as the Fiordland, royal, Snares and rockhopper penguins. The macaroni penguin's name comes from the crest of yellow feathers on its head, which looks like the 18th-century hats of the same name. A light yellow mask covers the face of the yellow-eyed penguin around the eyes.

(Image credit: Gemma Clucas)

According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), there are 19 species of penguin. (Some experts, however, say the eastern rockhopper is a subspecies of the southern rockhopper.) [ Gallery: Photos of 18 Penguin Species]

The smallest penguin species is the little (also called little blue) penguin. These birds grow to 10 to 12 inches (25.4 to 30.48 centimeters) tall and weigh only 2 to 3 lbs. (0.90 to 1.36 kilograms). The largest penguin is the emperor penguin. It grows to 36 to 44 inches (91.44 to 111.76 cm) tall and weighs 60 to 90 lbs (27.21 to 40.82 kg).

Where do penguins live?

Considered marine birds, penguins live up to 80 percent of their lives in the ocean, according to the New England Aquarium. All penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, though it is a common myth that they all live in Antarctica. In fact, penguins can be found on every continent in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also a myth that penguins can only live in cold climates. The Galapagos penguin, for example, lives on tropical islands at the equator.

What do penguins eat?

Penguins are carnivores; they eat only meat. Their diet includes krill (tiny crustaceans), squid and fish. Some species of penguin can make a large dent in an area's food supply. For example, the breeding population of Adélie penguins (about 2,370,000 pairs) can consume up to 1.5 million metric tons (1.5 billion kg) of krill, 115,000 metric tons (115 million kg) of fish and 3,500 metric tons (3.5 million kg) of squid each year, according to Sea World.

The yellow-eyed penguin is very tenacious when foraging for food. It will dive as deep as 120 meters (393.70 feet) up to 200 times a day looking for fish, according to the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust.

Mating & baby penguins

A group of penguins is called a colony, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. During breeding season, penguins come ashore to form huge colonies called rookeries, according to Sea World.

Most penguins are monogamous. This means that male and female pairs will mate exclusively with each other for the duration of mating season. In many cases, the male and female will continue to mate with each other for most of their lives. For example, research has found that chinstrap penguins re-paired with the same partner 82 percent of the time and gentoo penguins re-paired 90 percent of the time.

At around three to eight years old, a penguin is mature enough to mate. Most species breed during the spring and summer. The male usually starts the mating ritual and will pick out a nice nesting site before he approaches a female.

After mating, the female emperor or king penguin will lay a single egg. All other species of penguins lay two eggs. The two parents will take turns holding the eggs between their legs for warmth in a nest. The one exception is the emperor penguin. The female of this species will place the egg on the male's feet to keep warm in his fat folds while she goes out and hunts for several weeks.

When penguin chicks are ready to hatch, they use their beaks to break through the shell of their eggs. This process can take up to three days. After the chicks emerge, the parents will take turns feeding their offspring with regurgitated food. Penguin parents can identify their offspring by unique calls that the chick will make.

(Image credit: Michelle LaRue)

Classification/taxonomy

The taxonomy of penguins, according to ITIS, is:

Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Aves Order: Sphenisciformes Family: Spheniscidae Genera: Aptenodytes, Eudyptes, Eudyptula, Megadyptes, Pygoscelis and Spheniscus Species:

Aptenodytes forsteri (emperor penguin)

Aptenodytes patagonicus (king penguin)

Eudyptes chrysocome (southern rockhopper penguin)

Eudyptes chrysolophus (macaroni penguin)

Eudyptes filholi (eastern rockhopper penguin; considered by some to be a subspecies of southern rockhopper)

Eudyptes moseleyi (northern rockhopper penguin)

Eudyptes pachyrhynchus (Fiordland penguin)

Eudyptes robustus (Snares penguin)

Eudyptes schlegeli (royal penguin)

Eudyptes sclateri (erect-crested penguin)

Eudyptula minor (little penguin, also called little blue penguin)

Megadyptes antipodes (yellow-eyed penguin)

Pygoscelis adeliae (Adélie penguin)

Pygoscelis antarcticus (chinstrap penguin)

Pygoscelis papua (gentoo penguin)

Spheniscus demersus (jackass penguin, also called African penguin)

Spheniscus humboldti (Humboldt penguin)

Spheniscus magellanicus (Magellanic penguin)

Spheniscus mendiculus (Galapagos penguin)

Conservation status

According to the Red List of Threatened Species from the International Union for Conservation of Nature, four penguin species are endangered: northern rockhopper, erect-crested, yellow-eyed, jackass and Galapagos penguins. Most of the other species of penguins are listed as vulnerable or threatened.

Other facts

The chinstrap penguin has a stripe of black that runs from one side of its head to the other. This strip looks like a chinstrap.

The shape of all penguins makes them aerodynamic. It is the perfect shape for gliding through the water as they swim.

Most birds have hollow bones. Penguins do not. Their heavier bones counteract the birds' natural buoyancy, making them very quick swimmers. Penguins can swim up to 15 mph (24.14 kph) according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Rockhoppers do not glide on their bellies like other penguins. They instead hop from rock to rock to move across land quickly.

Additional resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
Alina Bradford - Live Science Contributor

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(Image credit: Dr. Robert Ricker, NOAA/NOS/ORR) Penguins are torpedo-shaped, flightless birds that live in the southern regions of the Earth. Though many people imagine a small, black-and-white animal when they think of penguins, these birds actually come in a variety of sizes, and some are very colorful.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Interesting Penguin Facts

Learning various facts is a great way to expand your knowledge. It can also fuel your interest to learn more about specific species of penguins or certain aspects of their lives.

- All penguin species live in the southern hemisphere, from the Galapagos Islands to the Antarctic continent. None in the wild lives in the North Pole.

- The only penguin that can cross the equator towards the northern hemisphere is the Galapagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus).

- A colony of penguins can have about 20 million individuals during the year.

- Penguins are birds, but they are unable to fly.

- Their bones are denser than those of flying birds; this allows them to float and plunge to moderate depths at will.

- Usually, penguins return to the same place every year to nest.

- All penguins feed on the sea. Their favorite foods are fish, squid, and krill.

- The name of the Adélie penguin or Adelaide penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is in honor of the wife of Jules Dumont d'Urville, the explorer that discovered it.

- The largest species is the Emperor Penguin (Aptenodytes forsteri) with a height up to 1.2 meters.

- Most penguins can swim at 8-9 kilometers per hour or 2 meters per second.

- Some prehistoric penguins were much bigger than the modern ones; they had a height larger than 1.5 meters and weighed about 91 kilograms.

- Penguins do not have teeth. Instead, their tongue and throat have spiny structures that prevent food from slipping out of their mouth.

- Some species can live up to 15-20 years in the wild. In captivity, their life expectancy is a little higher.

- Each penguin has a unique voice, and that's why they can recognize each other.

- They are carnivorous animals. The first meal of an emperor penguin chick is a kind of porridge produced by the male throat glands.

- Penguins can drink salt water because they have special glands that drain the liquid out of the nose and expel the salt.

- They probably descend from flying birds, but as they relied more on the ocean resources and evolved, they lost their ability to fly. At least it's a hypothesis.

- All penguins spend about 75-80 percent of their life at sea, but they mate and nest on land.

- Some penguins can jump from the water to the shore up to 1.8 meters height.

- Guano, or penguin droppings, varies in color depending on what they eat. For example, if they eat krill, it has a pinkish color! But if they eat fish, it is white.

- The only species living permanently in the Antarctica are the Emperor Penguin and the Adelie Penguin.

- In average, penguins can submerge to about 100 meters, but this can vary. For example, the emperor penguin reaches up to 500 meters deep.

- The largest penguin species that has existed was the Anthropornis nordenskjoldi, which had a height about 1.7-1.8 meters.

- Elizabethan penguins are not albino but suffer from a genetic mutation that causes the feathers to become pale or white, so their melanin level is very low.

- Penguins are serially monogamous; they only have one partner per reproductive season. The emperor penguin is monogamous throughout its life.

- In some species, when a male courts a female, it usually offers rocks as a gift.

- Centuries ago, it was common that sailors killed penguins to consume their meat and obtain oil.

- Besides the Emperor Penguin ( Aptenodytes forsteri) and the king penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus), which lay only one egg, all other penguin species lay two eggs.

- Adults change their plumage at least once a year.

Facts on Video
Sources:
https://seaworld.org/en/animal-info/animal-infobooks/penguin

Animals, a visual encyclopedia. Second edition. Smithsonian 2012.

World of Animals Magazine. Issue 04. Imagine publishing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penguin

Spences David, Lloyd. Penguins. Smithsonian.2007.

Lynch, Wayne. Penguins of the world. Firefly. 2007.
BioExpedition Publishing © 2017.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning various facts is a great way to expand your knowledge. It can also fuel your interest to learn more about specific species of penguins or certain aspects of their lives. - All penguin species live in the southern hemisphere, from the Galapagos Islands to the Antarctic continent.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Penguins for Kids: Interesting Facts - Different Types of Penguins for Children. Kids Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
* PENGUINS * | Animals For Kids | All Things Animal TV

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Factsheet summary

We love penguins for their funny walks, cute fluffy chicks, their stomach slides and their amazing swimming ability. Find out about different species of penguins, their diets, their behavioural and physical adaptations, and where they live.

Cool Australia acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which we live, learn and work, and pays respect to their Elders past and present, and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Cool celebrates the world's oldest living culture and acknowledges that sovereignty was never ceded.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We love penguins for their funny walks, cute fluffy chicks, their stomach slides and their amazing swimming ability. Find out about different species of penguins, their diets, their behavioural and physical adaptations, and where they live.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In our expert penguin guide learn all about these spectacular aquatic flightless birds, including how to identify each species, their diet and best places to see them in their natural habitat.

Polar science and operations centre, the British Antarctic Survey, shares these interesting penguin insights.

How many species of penguin are there?

There are 18 species of penguin which are found in a variety of countries, all the way from Antarctica to the equator. Fossil records show that there were at least 25 species of penguin in the past, several of which have gone extinct.

In 2020, scientists published research that indicated that the two subspecies of Gentoo penguin should actually be classified as four separate species.

1. King penguin, Aptenodytes patagonicus

2. Emperor penguin, Aptenodytes forsteri

3. Adélie penguin, Pygoscelis adeliae

4. Chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica

5. Gentoo penguin, Pygoscelis papua

6. Little penguin, Eudyptula minor

7. Magellanic penguin, Spheniscus magellanicus

8. Humboldt penguin, Spheniscus humboldti

9. Galápagos penguin, Spheniscus mendiculus

10. African penguin, Spheniscus demersus

11. Yellow-eyed penguin, Megadyptes antipodes

12. Fiordland penguin, Eudyptes pachyrynchus

13. Snares penguin, Eudyptes robustus

14. Erect-crested penguin, Eudyptes sclateri

15. Southern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes chrysocome

16. Northern rockhopper penguin, Eudyptes moseleyi

17. Royal penguin, Eudyptes schlegeli

18. Macaroni penguin, Eudyptes chrysolophus

Where do penguins live?

Everyone imagines penguins on the ice in Antarctica or taking a break on a passing iceberg, but penguins are also found in South Africa, Chile, Peru, Galápagos Islands, New Zealand, Australia and a number of sub-Antarctic islands.

Penguins are very nearly exclusive to the southern hemisphere, but Galapagos penguins live right on the equator and so there are a few penguins living in the northern hemisphere.

How was the penguin named?

The name penguin was originally given to an unrelated bird species - the now-extinct great auk, which was a large, flightless, black and white bird. When explorers first encountered wild penguins, they used the same name for the new creatures they were seeing.

Adélie penguins are named after the wife of Jules Dumont d'Urville, the French Antarctic explorer (he also named Terre Adelie/Adelie Land after her).

Are penguins birds and can they fly?

Yes, penguins are birds, although they are flightless birds. Lots of people think penguins are mammals rather than birds because they can't fly, and we see them swimming underwater or waddling on land instead. But there are other birds that can't fly (like emus, ostriches and cassowaries), and penguins fulfil all the biological requirements to be classified as birds - they have feathers, they lay eggs and they're warm-blooded. They're just seabirds that are very well adapted to their unusual lives, which is why they're so different from other birds.

What do penguins eat?

Penguins eat a variety of seafood such as fish, squid and crustaceans. The smaller penguins usually feed on krill.

Climate change is likely to affect the numbers of krill, and thus affect the penguins as well. Since the 1970s, krill density in some areas has decreased by 80 per cent.

Do penguins have feathers?

Penguins have feathers just like all other birds. Penguin feathers are shorter and stiffer than most bird feathers, which makes penguins more streamlined in the water and traps more air to provide better insulation.

Do penguins have knees?

Penguins do have knees, you just can't see them hidden away under all those fluffy feathers. They don't even have particularly short legs, so why do penguins waddle?

Scientists think it's because penguin legs have evolved to help them swim more efficiently, which has resulted in them being set further back on the body than you might expect. That makes walking more difficult, and the classic penguin waddle is the result.

Read more about king penguins

How do emperor penguins keep warm during the Antarctic winters?

The emperor penguin is the only species that spends the harsh Antarctic winter on land - the males protect their eggs from the cold ice by keeping them on their feet. The females are off at sea during much of this time.

Emperor penguins are able to cope with this cold as they have the highest density of feathers of any bird species - 100 feathers per square inch!

Do penguins get frozen feet and how do they conserve heat?

Penguins loose a lot of heat through their feet and flippers, so they have a highly developed vascular system to minimise this heat loss. When the ambient temperature falls below 0˚C, a penguin increases the circulation of warm blood to its feet. But, while this prevents the feet from freezing, it also increases the heat loss. To combat this, penguin vascular systems have a counter-current heat exchange system for their extremities.

This works by passing warm arterial blood from the body through fine arteries in close contact with veins returning from the feet and flippers. The warm arterial blood is cooled before it reaches the extremities, while the returning blood is warmed before it can chill the body.

These adaptations work so well that they can actually cause penguins to overheat in areas of higher temperatures. So species in warmer places like South Africa have large flippers and bare areas on their faces.

How do scientists count penguins?

Scientists can undertake population counts of penguins in inaccessible areas by using high-resolution satellite imagery. They are able to differentiate between birds, ice, shadow and guano (penguin poo).

How tall is the emperor penguin?

Adult emperor penguins are 1.2m tall, which makes them the tallest penguin species. The smallest species is the blue penguin (also known as the little penguin or fairy penguin) at just over 0.3m tall - 4x shorter than emperor penguins.

One extinct penguin species, known by the scientific name of Anthopornis nordenskjoldi, was even larger than the emperor penguin, standing an impressive 1.7m tall!

How have penguins adapted to swimming?

Many bird species are adapted to flying by having hollow bones, whereas penguins have dense bones, which makes diving easier.

How deep can penguins dive?

Penguins can dive to depths of over 250m, although most dives will be within the top 10m of water. The deepest dive ever recorded is by a female emperor penguin that dived to 535m below the surface!

Which is the fastest penguin species?

The fastest species of penguin is the gentoo penguin, which can swim at up to 22mph.

Are there any gay penguins?

Gay penguins were first observed over a century ago by the British explorer George Murray Levick, who documented extensive homosexual sex between Adelie penguins. He also recorded other unexpected sexual behaviour that was deemed too shocking to become public knowledge at the time. To avoid anybody but educated gentlemen becoming aware of his discoveries, he wrote the more controversial parts in Greek.

Since then, gay penguins have been documented across several species, with widely publicised accounts of homosexual penguin couples in zoos successfully raising adopted chicks.

Do penguins have any predators?

Leopard seals, sea lions and orcas (killer whales) will all eat penguins, although leopard seals are usually the biggest threat in Antarctica.

Penguin chicks and eggs aren't safe either, with skuas hanging around penguin colonies to pick off any young left unattended.
How are penguins adapted to saltwater?

Due to eating so much seafood, penguins need to be able to cope with the high amount of salt in the saltwater. They have a gland located just above their eye called the supraorbital gland, which filters the salt from their bloodstream. This is then excreted through the bill, or by sneezing!

Penguins undergo a process called catastrophic moulting, when they replace all of their feathers in the space of a few weeks. During this time, they cannot enter the water so they need to have accumulated enough fat to fast through this period. Most birds replace their feathers gradually over the course of the year, while penguins have to go through this process all at once.

What species are penguins most closely related to?

A penguin's closest relatives are petrels, albatrosses and divers.
British Antarctic Survey (BAS), an institute of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), delivers and enables research in the Polar Regions with staff based in Cambridge, Antarctica and the Arctic, to advance our understanding of Earth as a sustainable planet. Find out more about their work: www.bas.ac.uk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Penguin guide: how to identify each species and best places to see

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Highly adapted for life in the water, penguins are fascinating to watch - learn all about these spectacular aquatic flightless birds with our expert guide to penguins, including how to identify each species, their diet and best places to see them in their natural habitat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Penguins are aquatic birds that rely on the ocean for food and survival.

Unlike most birds we know these marine animals are unable to fly.

They can be found living in the southern hemisphere in polar climates such as Antarctica all year round.

These birds have become highly adapted to aquatic life and can spend as much as half of their lives swimming around in the ocean.

There are currently estimated to be as many as 20 species of penguin in existence today.

Physical Characteristics

The wings of penguins have been transformed into flippers which allows them to swim through the water easily and effortlessly.

Unlike other species of bird penguins however are not capable of flying.

When traveling on land their tail and flippers help them maintain stability as they waddle across the surface.

All species have black backs and flippers and white fronts.

It is believed that this coloring allows them to blend in with their environment and avoid being attacked by predators when they are in the water.

The largest penguin " the emperor penguin " can grow to be over 3 1/2 feet tall and weigh about 75 lbs.

The smallest penguin "the little blue penguin" on the other hand only grows to about 1 1/2 feet and weighs around 3 lbs.

When frightened penguins may reach speeds of up to 17 mph for brief periods of time although they typically average 3 1/2 - 7 1/2 miles per hour.

In order to maintain body heat penguins have thick insulated feathers which help keep their body parts from freezing.

They are also able control their blood flow to their extremities in order to prevent them from freezing, especially when diving for food.

Another method that is often used to maintain body heat is huddling.

Huddling occurs when groups of penguins huddle together in order to maintain body heat and will take turns entering the center of the huddle where the most heat exists.

Penguins are known to use one of three strategies when traveling on land; waddling, hopping (basically jumping with both feet) and sliding on their bellies, which helps conserve energy while allowing for fast movement.

Diet

A penguins diet consists primarily of fish, squid and krill.

Depending on the species of penguin their food preference can vary which also helps reduce competition for food.

Large colonies are able to consume millions of pounds of food on a daily basis.

Penguins rely on their eyes to find food while underwater.

Most dives for food do not exceed 60 feet, although some species are capable of diving nearly 2,000 feet for when hunting for prey.

They capture their prey by grabbing it with their bill and swallow their food whole.

Penguins are known to fast (stop eating) annually during breeding periods when they must watch their eggs, keep them warm and prevent them from being attacked by predators.

Before fasting they stock up by consuming large quantities of food so that they can build up enough energy from fat to last them throughout their fasting period.

Habitat and Environment

Penguins can be found living throughout various parts the southern hemisphere.

In fact penguins have been found living in parts of the world such as Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Parts of south Africa and Chile.

Due to the cool waters that flow through these countries penguins have been able to survive and prosper.

Since larger species of penguin are able to maintain more body heat they are typically found in colder regions of the world.

Breeding and Social Structure

Penguins generally prefer living in large pairs or colonies that can contain anywhere from 100 to several 100,000 penguins.

Penguins are not marine mammals therefore they are not able to carry their young in a womb.

Once a year they all meet on land to mate and produce offspring (lay eggs).

During these mating periods penguins often revisit their birth grounds where they were born to produce their own offspring even though it may be far away from their current home.

The process begins by digging holes under large rocks or bushes.

They then lay their eggs in these nests that they have created.

In area's where it is too cold to burrow holes they create nests of made of pebbles.

They generally lay two eggs, but some species may only lay one.

Both the male and female penguin (with the exception of the emperor penguin) share incubation periods where they sit on their eggs.

This strategy allows one penguin to keep their eggs (containing their offspring) warm while the other penguin rests or gathers food.

Incubation periods can last anywhere from a few days to several weeks.

The thick shell of these eggs helps in minimizing the likelihood that the shell will break due to pressure from either parent sitting on it and the yolk encased in the egg is believed to help aid in keeping the offspring warm when the parents aren't sitting on it.

Penguins also have an incubation pouch which allows them to sit on the egg without adding much pressure.

Most eggs are believed to take 33 - 36 days to hatch and in most cases where two eggs were produced the first egg usually takes a day longer to hatch than the first.

In some of the larger species it may take as many as 60 days for an egg to hatch.

After about 3 months of birth both parents may leave their young in order to search for food due to their need to feed additional mouths and replenish their own energy.

When the parents are away young penguins form groups with other penguins to aid in avoiding potential attacks from predators.

Size Does Matter

When it comes to the size of penguins several characteristics stand out

The larger the penguin is the more likely it is to live in colder regions. Smaller penguins inhibit warmer climates and may even be found in or around tropical regions near the equator.

Larger penguins have been seen diving nearly 2,00o ft. in search of food. Smaller penguins only make shallow dives and aren't nearly as likely to swim to those depths to find prey.

Small penguins typically dive for short periods of time 1 - 3 minutes. Larger penguins may dive for over 20 minutes.

Popular penguin movies and books

March of the penguins

Mr. poppers penguins

Happy Feet

The penguins of Madagascar

Farce of the penguins

The pebble and the penguins

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Penguins are aquatic birds that rely on the ocean for food and survival. Unlike most birds we know these marine animals are unable to fly. They can be found living in the southern hemisphere in polar climates such as Antarctica all year round.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Science4Fun - Learn Science experiments, Topics, ideas and activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Penguins are the birds that can't fly, despite having wings. But, they love to swim and spend almost 75% of their time in the oceans.

Penguins have special adaptions, which help them to survive very cold weather of Antarctica and cold waters. Penguins don't hesitate to come closer to human explorers. Probably because they don't have a land predator in such cold regions. But, the sea is full of risks for them because they are mostly hunted by sea creatures like sharks and seals.

The largest species of penguin is called emperor penguin. Emperor penguins can grow as tall as 1 meter (3 feet).

Penguins can reach a speed of 12 km/h (7.5 mph) in water. In the case of emperor penguins, they can dive as deep as 565 meters (1850 feet) and may remain at that depth for 20 minutes. Penguins can also glide on their bellies on the ice.

What Do They Look Like?

Penguins have mostly two colors on their body; black and white. Their backside is covered with black color and front side with white color. These two colors provide them excellent camouflage when they go for swimming. In the ocean, when they are seen from below, their front side matches with light sky due to their white color. Similarly, when they are seen from above they black color matches with the dark ocean floor.

Penguins have two eyes, which provide them very sharp vision. They have two flippers which can't help them in flying but help them in swimming. They have a small bill and special nostrils which help them catching the fishes and conserving their heat.

Diet

Penguins love to eat small fishes including krill, squids, and octopuses in their diet.

Habitat

Penguins are mostly found in cold regions of Southern Hemisphere. However, one species of penguins known as Galapagos penguin is found at islands near equators. They mostly in Antarctica, Australia, and South Africa.

Conservation

Many species of penguins are placed on the vulnerable list. Among them, some species penguins have been declared endangered by International Union of Conservation of Nature, including Galapagos penguins and northern Rockhopper.

Facts

The largest species of the penguins is known as emperor penguin.

Penguins can jump up to 3 meters in length.

Penguins live 80 percent of their lives in the ocean. They can also drink salt water.

Rockhopper penguins can't glide on the ice like other penguins.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Penguins: (Information + Habitat + Facts) - Science4Fun

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Penguins are the birds that can't fly, despite having wings. But, they love to swim and spend almost 75% of their time in the oceans. Penguins have special adaptions, which help them to survive very cold weather of Antarctica and cold waters. Penguins don't hesitate to come closer to human explorers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Penguins: Learn about these swimming birds.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about penguins. They are birds that can’t fly, but boy can swim really fast. Where do they live and what do they eat?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

Penguins are flightless birds that make up the scientific order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae. They live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere and are noted for their distinctive black and white color and waddling when they walk. The name "Penguin" comes from the Welsh terms "pen" meaning head and "gwyn" meaning white. For more information on these fascinating creatures, see the fact file below or download our worksheet pack containing over 11 amazing activities to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Penguin Facts & Information:

Penguins are birds that cannot fly. They make up the scientific order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae. The name "Penguin" comes from the Welsh terms "pen" meaning head and "gwyn" meaning white.

There are 17 species of penguin, each slightly different. All of the species live in the Southern hemisphere. Many live at the South Pole on Antarctica Some are found on the coasts of South America, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, Africa, and New Zealand. There may be as many as 100 million penguins in the world.

Penguins have black and white feathers and they waddle when they walk. They also have a torpedo-shaped body. This shape allows them to speed through the water at speeds of 25 miles per hour.

Penguins spend most of their time in the water searching for food. They cannot swim backwards, however. They are at home in the water as they spin, jump and dive as they play and search for food. A penguin can hold their breath under water for approximately 6 minutes.

A penguin is a very strong bird and can launch itself 6 feet into the air when leaving the water to return to land. When a penguin wishes to move quickly across the ice, they can be seen falling onto their bellies and using their arms to propel them over the surface.

Penguins have no biological defenses against germs found outside of the cold Antarctic so they are difficult to keep healthy in zoos.

Penguins are warm blooded, with a normal body temperature of about 100 degrees F. Just like whales, penguins have a layer of fat under their skin called "blubber". Overtop of this they are covered with fluffy "down" feathers and overtop of those they have their outer feathers which overlap to seal in warmth.

Penguins rub oil from a gland onto their feathers to help make them waterproof and windproof. Groups of penguins huddled shoulder to shoulder with their wings tight against their body keeping each other warm. As many as 5,000 penguins will bunch together to warm each other up.

Penguins eat seafood. Their main diet is fish, though they'll also eat squid, small shrimplike animals called "krill" and crustaceans. If you look closely at a penguin's bill you'll notice a hook at the end, perfect for grabbing dinner. They also have backward facing bristles on their tongues that helps slippery seafood from getting away.

Penguins don't live near freshwater - at least none that isn't frozen. Instead they drink salt water. They have a special gland in their bodies that takes the salt out of the water they drink and pushes it out of grooves in their bill, so the water they are actually drinking is filtered.

Penguins mate for life. During the mating season penguins head for special nesting areas on the shore. The area where penguins mate, nest and raise their chicks is called a rookery.

When penguins are ready to mate, the male stands with his back arched and wings stretched. He makes a loud call and struts about to attract a female. When the penguins find a mate, they bond with each other by touching necks and slapping each other on the back with their flippers. They also "sing" to each other so they learn to recognize each other's voices.

Penguins will build their nests out of whatever is available even rocks and stones. As soon as the egg is laid (penguins lay one or two eggs at a time), the female dashes out for dinner, leaving the male to watch the nest. When the female returns (it can take up to two weeks for her to come back) it's the male's turn to head out for food, leaving the female with the egg.

When a Penguin chick hatches, it immediately starts calling so that its parents recognize its voice. When the chick is old enough, both parents will leave at the same time. All the chicks in the rookery will stay together until their parents return.

When the parents come home they again recognize their chick by the sound of its voice. The Emperor penguin is the only species that breeds and nests in Antarctica through the frigid winter.

Leopard seals are the penguins' main threat, but sea lions and orca whales are also predators. Some large seabirds like the Australian eagle and the Skua also threaten the penguin. Penguins also have a number of on-land predators like ferrets, cats, snakes, lizards, foxes and rats.

Penguins can be endangered by oil spills, water pollution, and the over harvesting of the ocean.

Survival is a major concern for penguins. They make sure that their home lacks predators. It is a must for them to find a place where they will have adequate food and shelter. It is also necessary for them to live in an area where they can reproduce and interact with each other. They settle on a place depending on the climate's temperature. The water must be at least 10-degrees Celsius, or colder than the temperature of their bodies. There are also penguins that manages to settle in warm temperatures like the Galapagos Penguins.

Penguins don't live near freshwater - at least none that isn't frozen. Instead they drink salt water. They have a special gland in their bodies that takes the salt out of the water they drink and pushes it out of grooves in their bill, so the water they are actually drinking is filtered.

Penguins spend most of their time in the water searching for food. They cannot swim backwards, however. They are at home in the water as they spin, jump and dive as they play and search for food. A penguin can hold its breath underwater for approximately 6 minutes.

Penguins eat seafood. Their main diet is fish, though they'll also eat squid, small shrimplike animals called "krill" and crustaceans. If you look closely at a penguin's bill you'll notice a hook at the end, perfect for grabbing dinner. They also have backward facing bristles on their tongues that helps stop slippery seafood from getting away.

Penguins can eat as much as 1,500,000 metric tons of krill, 115,000 metric tons of fish and 3,500 metric tons of squid in a year. They feed from prey 50-60 feet below the sea's surface using their bills.

There are also penguins that travel from 15km to 900km in search of food.

There are penguins that swallow stones, thus reducing buoyancy when diving and lessening hunger.

Penguins also practice yearly fasting during the breeding, molting and preparedness for plumage feathers that may last from 54 to 120 days, depending on the species.

Species of Penguins:

There are 17 species of penguin, each slightly different. All of the species live in the Southern hemisphere. Many live at the South Pole in Antarctica. Some are found on the coasts of South America, the Galapagos Islands, Australia, Africa, and New Zealand. There may be as many as 100 million penguins in the world.

African Penguins: African Penguins or Jackass Penguins come from warm places like South Africa and some parts of Namibian coastal areas.

Chinstrap Penguins: Chinstrap Penguins are capable of building their own nests during their reproductive period.

Emperor Penguins: Emperor Penguins are capable of diving in deep water in Antarctica.

Gentoo Penguins: Gentoo Penguins have white stripes around their eyes going to their heads.

Adelie Penguins: Adelie Penguins of Antarctica have white circles around the eyes.

King Penguins: King Penguins have a bright and strong color on their head, chest and back. o Galapagos Penguins live near the Equator.

Humboldt Penguins: Humboldt Penguins are natives from the coastal areas of Peru and Chile.

Erect-Crested Penguins: Erect-crested Penguins are native to the Antipodes and Bounty Islands.

Macaroni Penguins: Macaroni Penguins have orange-yellow plumes.

Fiordland Penguins: Fiordland Penguins are native to Fiordland, West New Zealand, and have white patches on their beaks.

Snares Penguins: Snares Penguins are natives of the Snares Island, New Zealand.

Magellanic Penguins: Magellanic Penguins are natives of Chile and Argentina.

Royal Penguins: Royal Penguins from some parts of Australia have a full face that's white in color.

Little Blue Penguins: Little Blue Penguins are the smallest type of penguins at 13-inch tall.

Rockhopper Penguins: Rockhopper Penguins are found in some parts of South America and have short beaks and red eyes.

Yellow-Eyed Penguins: Yellow-Eyed Penguins of New Zealand have golden yellow, spotted colors around their eyes.

Penguin Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Penguin Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about Penguins which are flightless birds that make up the scientific order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae.

Download includes the following worksheets:

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Penguin Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, April 11, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Penguin Facts, Worksheets & Species Information For Kids | PDF Resource

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample Penguins are flightless birds that make up the scientific order Sphenisciformes and the family Spheniscidae. They live exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere and are noted for their distinctive black and white color and waddling when they walk.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are more than 465 known species of sharks living in our oceans today. Sharks are an apex predator at or near the top of their marine food chains, and they regulate the populations of species below them. Research has shown that massive depletion of sharks has cascading effects throughout the ocean's ecosystems.

© Ridlon Kiphart

Sharks belong to a family of fish that have skeletons made of cartilage, a tissue more flexible and lighter than bone. They breathe through a series of five to seven gill slits located on either side of their bodies. All sharks have multiple rows of teeth, and while they lose teeth on a regular basis, new teeth continue to grow in and replace those they lose.

Shark 'skin' is made up of a series of scales that act as an outer skeleton for easy movement and for saving energy in the water. The upper side of a shark is generally dark to blend in with the water from above and their undersides are white or lighter colored to blend in with the lighter surface of the sea from below. This helps to camouflage them from predators and prey.

Diet

Most species of shark eat things like fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plankton, krill, marine mammals and other sharks. Sharks also have a very acute sense of smell that allows them to detect blood in the water from miles away.

Population

It is difficult to estimate population numbers since there are many different species spanning a large geographic area. However, overall shark numbers are on the decline due to the many threats they face in the wild.
Did You Know?
Sharks predate the dinosaurs by 200 million years. The largest known species of shark, C. megalodon, might have reached a maximum length of 67 feet.

Habitat & Range

Sharks have adapted to living in a wide range of aquatic habitats at various temperatures. While some species inhabit shallow, coastal regions, others live in deep waters, on the ocean floor and in the open ocean. Some species, like the bull shark, are even known to swim in salt, fresh and brackish waters.

Behavior

Most sharks are especially active in the evening and night when they hunt. Some sharks migrate over great distances to feed and breed. This can take them over entire ocean basins. While some shark species are solitary, others display social behavior at various levels. Hammerhead sharks, for instance, school during mating season around seamounts and islands.

Some shark species, like the great white shark, attack and surprise their prey, usually seals and sea lions, from below. Species that dwell on the ocean floor have developed the ability to bottom-feed. Others attack schooling fish in a feeding frenzy, while large sharks like the whale and basking sharks filter feed by swimming through the ocean with their mouths open wide, filtering large quantities of plankton and krill.

Reproduction

Sharks mature slowly, and reach reproductive age anywhere from 12 to 15 years. This, combined with the fact that many species only give birth to one or two pups at a time, means that sharks have great difficulty recovering after their populations have declined.

Soon after birth, sharks pups swim away to fend for themselves. They are born with fully-fledged sets of teeth and are able to feed and live on their own.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are more than 465 known species of sharks living in our oceans today. Sharks are an apex predator at or near the top of their marine food chains, and they regulate the populations of species below them.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shark Facts for Kids | Classroom Edition Sharks Learning Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All About Sharks for Children: Animal Videos for Kids - FreeSchool

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Shark information including, habitat, distribution, feeding, reproduction, sense, anatomy, shark tails, communication, evolution and shark social structure.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Sharks use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. They are a special type of fish known as "elasmobranchs", which translates into fish made of cartilaginous tissues- the clear gristly stuff that your ears and nose tip are made of. This category also includes rays, sawfish, and skates. Their cartilaginous skeletons are much lighter than true bone and their large livers are full of low-density oils, both helping them to be buoyant.

Even though sharks don't have bones, they still can fossilize. As most sharks age, they deposit calcium salts in their skeletal cartilage to strengthen it. The dried jaws of a shark appear and feel heavy and solid; much like bone. These same minerals allow most shark skeletal systems to fossilize quite nicely. The teeth have enamel so they show up in the fossil record too.

Most sharks can see well in dark lighted areas, have fantastic night vision, and can see colors. The back of sharks' eyeballs have a reflective layer of tissue called a tapetum. This helps sharks see extremely well with little light.

Sharks have small black spots near the nose, eyes, and mouth. These spots are the ampullae of Lorenzini - special electroreceptor organs that allow the shark to sense electromagnetic fields and temperature shifts in the ocean.

4. Shark skin feels similar to sandpaper.

Shark skin feels exactly like sandpaper because it is made up of tiny teeth-like structures called placoid scales, also known as dermal denticles. These scales point towards the tail and help reduce friction from surrounding water when the shark swims.

When you flip a shark upside down they go into a trance-like state called tonic immobility. This is the reason why you often see sawfish flipped over when our scientists are working on them in the water.

Based on fossil scales found in Australia and the United States, scientists hypothesize sharks first appeared in the ocean around 455 million years ago.

Vertebrae contain concentric pairs of opaque and translucent bands. Band pairs are counted like rings on a tree and then scientists assign an age to the shark based on the count. Thus, if the vertebrae has 10 band pairs, it is assumed to be 10 years old. Recent studies, however, have shown that this assumption is not always correct. Researchers must therefore study each species and size class to determine how often the band pairs are deposited because the deposition rate may change over time. Determining the actual rate that the bands are deposited is called "validation".

The blue shark displays a brilliant blue color on the upper portion of its body and is normally snowy white beneath. The mako and porbeagle sharks also exhibit a blue coloration, but it is not nearly as brilliant as that of a blue shark. In life, most sharks are brown, olive, or grayish.

Whale sharks are the biggest fish in the ocean. They can grow to 12.2 meters and weigh as much as 40 tons by some estimates! Basking sharks are the world's second largest fish, growing as long as 32 feet and weighing more than five tons.

A shark's spiracle is located just behind the eyes which supplies oxygen directly to the shark's eyes and brain. Bottom dwelling sharks, like angel sharks and nurse sharks, use this extra respiratory organ to breathe while at rest on the seafloor. It is also used for respiration when the shark's mouth is used for eating.

Mako sharks have very pointed teeth, while white sharks have triangular, serrated teeth. Each leave a unique, tell-tale mark on their prey. A sandbar shark will have around 35,000 teeth over the course of its lifetime!

Sharks exhibit a great diversity in their reproductive modes. There are oviparous (egg-laying) species and viviparous (live-bearing) species. Oviparous species lay eggs that develop and hatch outside the mother's body with no parental care after the eggs are laid.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1. Sharks do not have bones. Sharks use their gills to filter oxygen from the water. They are a special type of fish known as "elasmobranchs", which translates into fish made of cartilaginous tissues-the clear gristly stuff that your ears and nose tip are made of. This category also includes rays, sawfish, and skates.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Home

2. Ocean Life

3. Sharks & Rays

4. http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/sharks Sharks

There are more than 500 species of sharks swimming in the world's ocean. Yet when most people think of these cartilaginous fish, a single image comes to mind: a large, sharp-toothed and scary beast. That generalization does sharks a huge disservice, as they have far more variety than that. They range in size from the length of a human hand to more than 39 feet (12 meters) long; half of all shark species are less than one meter (or about 3 feet) long. They come in a variety of colors (including bubble gum pink), and some feed on tiny plankton while others prefer larger fish and squids. They are found in just about every kind of ocean habitat, including the deep sea, open ocean, coral reefs, and under the Arctic ice.

Wherever they live, sharks play an important role in ocean ecosystems-especially the larger species that are more "scary" to people. Sharks and their relatives were the first vertebrate predators, and their prowess, honed over millions of years of evolution, allows them to hunt as top predators and keep ecosystems in balance.

But sharks are in trouble around the world. Rising demand for shark fins to make shark fin soup, an Asian delicacy, has resulted in increased shark fishing worldwide; an estimated 100 million sharks are killed by fisheries every year. Sharks are accidentally caught in nets or on long line fishing gear. And because of needless fear spurred on by films such as Jaws, the instinct for some is to hurt or kill sharks that come near-such as the controversial shark culling in Australia. (This is despite the fact that you are more likely to be killed by a lightning strike than bitten by a shark, and more likely to be killed by a dog attack than a shark attack.) Combined, these actions have decreased many shark populations by 90 percent since large-scale fishing began.

All of this puts these incredible animals-and the ecosystems in which they play a role-in jeopardy. To protect them, communities and companies around the world are enacting science-based fisheries management policies, setting up shark sanctuaries, and banning the practice of shark finning and the trade of shark fins.

Anatomy

What makes a shark a shark?

No matter their size, all sharks have similar anatomy. Like other elasmobranchs (a subclass of animals that also includes rays and skates), sharks have skeletons made of cartilage-the hard but flexible material that makes up human noses and ears. This is a defining feature of elasmobranchs, as most fish have skeletons made of bone. Cartilage is much lighter than bone, which allows sharks to stay afloat and swim long distances while using less energy.

Every shark also has several rows of teeth lining its jaws. Unlike people, which have a limited number of teeth in their lifetime, sharks are constantly shedding their teeth and replacing them with new ones. A shark can lose and replace thousands of teeth in its lifetime! Not all shark teeth are the same, however. Some have pointed teeth for grabbing fish out of the water. Others have razor-sharp teeth for biting off chunks of prey, allowing them to attack and eat larger animals than bony fishes of the same size. Sharks that eat shellfish have flatter teeth for breaking shells. Filter-feeding sharks that sift tiny plankton from the water still have teeth, but they are very small and aren't used for feeding.

Another defining feature of sharks is their array of gill slits. Unlike bony fishes, which have one gill slit on each side of their bodies, most sharks have five slits on both sides that open individually (and some shark species have six or seven). After water flows into a shark's mouth as it swims, it closes its mouth, forcing the water over its internal gills. The gills extract oxygen from the seawater, after which the water is expelled through the gill slits behind its head. When they're resting, many shark species pump water over their gills to make sure the oxygen never stops flowing. This is called buccal pumping and is used by many sharks that spend their time sitting still on the seafloor like nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum), angel sharks (Squatina sp.) and wobbegongs ( Orectolobidae). But some sharks are unable to pump water this way and, if they stop pushing water into their mouths by swimming, will suffocate. These sharks include the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), mako shark (Isurus sp.) and whale shark (Rhincodon typus).

Speedy Swimmers

Over many millions of years of evolution, sharks have become some of the speediest swimmers in the ocean thanks to several adaptations. The first is their unique skin, which is made up of millions of small v-shaped placoid scales, also called dermal denticles. The rows of denticles are smooth in one direction-if a shark is "pet" from head to tail-but in the opposite direction, they feel like sandpaper. The denticles look more like teeth than typical fish scales and allow water to flow smoothly past the skin, reducing friction and increasing their swimming efficiency. Swimsuit designers have even taken a page from the shark, creating a fabric that mimics the design of shark denticles to improve human swim times. (Whether or not that actually helps people swim faster is up for debate.)

Many shark species known for speed also have slim, torpedo-shaped heads, like the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) and the shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus), which is the fastest known shark. It can swim 25 miles per hour at a regular pace and reach 46 miles per hour in quick bursts that allow it to fly into the air. Sharks gain additional speed by stiffening their tail while swinging it back and forth.

Bony fish maintain their position in the water column with the help of a swim bladder-a gas-filled organ in their body that allows them to stay neutrally buoyant. Sharks don't have swim bladders, and instead get help from their very large livers full of oil and the fact that their cartilage is about half as dense as bone. A shark's lightweight skeleton allows it to put more energy into swimming and use dynamic lift to maintain its place in the water.

Senses

Sharks have six highly refined senses for both hunting and communication: vision, taste, smell, hearing, touch and electro-reception. These finely honed senses coupled with sleek, torpedo-shaped bodies make most sharks highly skilled hunters.

VISION

The structure of shark eyes is remarkably similarly to our own. Like ours, the pupils of many shark species change size in response to varying levels of light. They have rods, which sense light and darkness, and most have cones, which allow them to see color and details. ( Some sharks have no or few cones, making them colorblind.) Like a human eye, a shark eye has a cornea, lens, pupil and iris. Unlike us and more like cats, sharks have a layer of mirrored crystals behind their retinas called the tapetum lucidum. This layer allows them to see better in dark and cloudy waters, in the deep sea or at night.

But within that basic plan, there is a wide range of seeing ability among shark species. Some have large eyes, such as the bigeye thresher shark (Alopias superciliosus), with eyes six centimeters in diameter. Other sharks have very small ones, like the one-centimeter diameter eyes of the brownbanded bamboo shark (Chiloscyllium punctatum).

A 2007 study found that shark eye size varied depending on the shark's habitat. Many sharks that stay near the surface have evolved to hunt in the sunlight and rely on their vision more than other senses, so have large eyes. Some deep-sea sharks also have big eyes to pick up faint traces of light down in the darkness-but their eyes are loaded with light-sensing rods and have fewer color-sensing cones. Researchers also have found that bioluminescent deep-sea sharks have a higher density of rods in their eyes than their non-bioluminescent counterparts, allowing them to see more details in the dark water when bioluminescence is present. Sharks that live in shallow water on the seafloor often have the smallest eyes because floating sediment kicked up from the bottom blocks their vision. These animals instead rely on senses like smell and electroreception over vision. Lastly, sharks that hunt fast-moving prey like fish and squids have bigger eyes (and presumably better eyesight) than those that eat non-moving prey.

Sharks have eyelids, but they don't blink; they close their eyelids to protect their eyes from damage when fighting or feeding. But their eyelids don't close all the way. In addition, some species have a clear membrane (the nictitating membrane), which slides down to protect the eye in dicey situations. Shark species that don't have the membrane, like the great white shark, will roll their eyes back in the socket when they are attacking prey for protection.

TASTE

Sharks don't have a very strong sense of taste. Taste buds that line the mouth and throat allow them to taste their food before they make the commitment to swallow. This helps them avoid dangerous prey items, which might have a bad taste. This could also be why many shark bite victims survive: the shark takes a bite, gets a bad taste in its mouth, and decides it doesn't want to eat, releasing the person.

Sharks don't have what we think of as a typical tongue. Instead they have a small piece of cartilage on the floor of their mouth called a basihyal that lacks taste buds. In most sharks, it doesn't appear to serve any real function. But the cookie-cutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) uses its basihyal to rip small chunks of flesh from fish and other animals.

SMELL

Sharks have truly remarkable noses. As they swim, water passes into their nostrils and across sensory cells lining the skin inside. These sensory cells are able to detect relatively small amounts of a chemical signal in the water. A shark's two nostrils can also detect smells separately to determine from which direction they originated, allowing them to smell in stereo. Just like we can tell where a sound is coming from depending on which ear the sound waves hit first, sharks can tell where a smell is coming from depending on which nostril the smell hits first. Now those are some impressive nostrils!

HEARING

Sharks have two small openings on their head (behind and above their eyes) that lead to internal ears. There, sensitive cells allow sharks to hear low-frequency sounds and to pick up on possible prey swimming and splashing in their range.

TOUCH

Sharks don't have fingers that they can use to feel and touch. Instead, like other fish, a shark has a lateral line running along the middle of its body from head to tail. The lateral line system is a series of pores that lets water flow through the shark's skin, where special cells called neuromasts can detect vibrations in the water. A fish swimming nearby displaces water as it goes along, creating ripples; when those ripples hit the lateral line system, the shark can detect both the direction and amount of movement made by prey, even from as far as 820 feet (250 meters) away. Because of this ability, they can sense prey in total darkness.

ELECTRO-RECEPTION

Not only can sharks detect vibrations through their lateral line system, but they also have a "sixth sense" of sorts that allows them to detect the small electric fields that all animals create when their muscles contract. Sharks detect the electrical fields through small pores on their head that are full of special cells called ampullae of Lorenzini. These cells are filled with a jelly-substance that conduct electric charges received from ions, like sodium and chlorine, which are found in salt water. When a fish moves its muscle to swim, the shark can feel it; when one is wounded and flopping around, it sends out a large electrical signal that will attract the shark.

Sharks also use electroreception to navigate. They can sense the Earth's electromagnetic field, which likely allows them to migrate across large distances without getting lost. They can also sense objects in the water, allowing them to create a map of their immediate environment.

Diversity

500+ Species

(© Courtesy of the Aquarium of the Pacific, Long Beach, California)

With over 500 species of sharks, there are many different shark sizes and shapes. The largest shark (and also largest fish) is the gentle whale shark ( Rhincodon typus), which can reach lengths of 39 feet (12 meters). The smallest is the dwarf lantern shark (Etmopterus perryi) clocking in at only 8 inches long. This tiny shark is found in deep waters off the coasts of Colombia and Venezuela. In between there are hundreds of large and small sharks with various shapes and with a multitude of important ecological roles in the ocean.

Today, living sharks are grouped into nine orders:

The ground sharks (Carcharhiniformes) are some of the most familiar sharks, including tiger sharks, bull sharks, reef sharks, hammerhead sharks and catsharks. They are defined by an elongated snout and nictitating membrane, and there are more than 270 species.

The order Echinorhiniformes includes two species of shark: the prickly shark and the bramble shark. They get their names from the thorn-like dermal denticles covering their skin, and are slow-swimming bottom-dwelling sharks.

Bullhead sharks (Heterodontiformes) are smaller sharks, reaching lengths of 5 feet or so, with pig-like snouts and small spines on their fins. They live on the shallow seafloor in warm and tropical areas of the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

The order Hexanchiformes contains cow sharks, the most primitive sharks alive today with skeletons resembling those of ancient extinct sharks, and the frilled sharks, which can only survive in very deep water. What makes these sharks unique is their gill slits: they have six or seven gill slits (depending on the species) unlike all other sharks, which have five.

The 15 species of mackerel sharks (Lamniformes) includes the great white shark, basking shark, megamouth shark, goblin shark and thresher shark, among others. They are found all over the world and in shallow water to the deep sea. The embryos of mackerel sharks feed on their younger siblings and fertilized eggs while still in the womb.

The carpet sharks (Orectolobiformes) are so-called because many of these species have ornate carpet-like skin patterns. They include the whale shark, wobbegongs, bamboos sharks and nurse sharks.

Sawsharks (Pristiophoriformes) are 5-foot-long, bottom-dwelling sharks with toothy saw-like snouts. After detecting prey's vibrations in the water, they slash at them with their saws to disable or kill them. They look very similar to the critically endangered sawfishes, but sawfishes are classified as rays, not sharks.

The order Squaliformes includes a wide variety of sharks-from the very smallest (the dwarf lanternshark at 8 inches long) to the 21-foot Greenland shark. What do they all have in common? They are born live from eggs that hatch inside the mother's body.

The angel sharks (Squatiniformes) look rather like skates, with flat bodies that they bury beneath the sand on the seafloor. But they have incredibly sharp teeth. They lie in wait for their prey of small fish and squid, and then surprise them with a sharp and deadly bite.

Evolution

Shark Paleontology

The first sharks evolved more than 400 million years ago, long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth. Because they are cartilaginous, sharks don't leave bony fossils like other ancient animals with skeletons such as dinosaurs, mammals and reptiles. Instead, fossilized shark teeth (along with limited shark skin scales (called denticles), vertebrae, and a few impressions of ancient shark tissue) give us clues to what happened to sharks over time. The oldest confirmed shark scales were found in Siberia from a shark that lived 420 million years ago during the Silurian Period, and the oldest teeth found are from the Devonian Period, some 400 million years ago. Based on these fossils, more than 2,000 species of fossil sharks have been described.

Because sharks shed so many teeth during their lifetimes, there are many shark teeth out there. In the middle ages fossilized sharks teeth were thought to be petrified dragon tongues and shark teeth have also been used throughout history to make weapons. But once you find a shark tooth, what can it tell you about the shark itself? Some scientists compare the shapes of ancient shark teeth to those found on modern sharks to look for similarities suggesting that they are related species. This method doesn't always work, however, making it very difficult to figure out how ancient fossilized sharks are related to modern ones.

Early Sharks

Not much is known about the earliest sharks. It's impossible to tell what the earliest known shark (named Elegestolepis) looked like based only on scales left behind 420 million years ago, much less the 400 million year old shark named Leonodus identified by a two-pronged tooth. They likely were small coastal or freshwater fishes. We do know that they inhabited a very different world than the one we know. The shape of the land even looked different 400 million years ago: there were just two continents, Laurasia and Gondwanaland, surrounded by a warm shallow sea.

The fossil record tells us that by 370 million years ago, ancient sharks would have been recognizably related to the sharks we know today. The small Cladoselache shark was four feet long but, unlike modern sharks that have mouths on the bottom of their head, this shark's mouth was at the very front. There were many other ancient shark species found in both fresh and salt water that evolved over millions of years and survived four mass extinction events. After each mass extinction, many shark species died, but the ones that survived went on to live and evolve further until the next mass extinction.

During the Carboniferous Period (360 to 286 million years ago), shark diversity flourished. For this reason, it's sometimes called the Golden Age of Sharks. By the end of the period, 45 families of sharks swam in the seas-and resulted in some strange-looking animals. Males of the extinct species Falcatus falcatus were six-inches long, and each had a strange sword-like appendage growing off of its head. One fossil preserved a pair of these sharks in the act of mating, with the larger female grabbing the male by its head spine. Another strange head appendage has been found on the extinct Stethacanthus, a two-foot shark with an anvil-shaped dorsal fin. And who could forget Helicoprion, an ancient shark that had a whorl of teeth in its mouth like a buzzsaw. But all good things must come to an end: 251 million years ago the largest extinction event in Earth's history (called the Permian-Triassic extinction event) wiped out 95 percent of all living species on the planet, including many of these bizarre sharks.

The First Ruling Sharks

Only a few families of fish-food for large ocean predators like sharks-survived the Permian extinction. But as the seas recovered, so did they. Ray-finned fish began to fill the seas, adapting to different habitats. And with them, their predators evolved too.

During the Jurassic (208 to 144 million years ago) and Cretaceous (145 to 66 million years ago) Periods, marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs, mosasaurs and plesiosaurs ruled the seas-along with some sharks. By the mid-Cretaceous, around 100 million years ago, sharks that resemble large, fast-swimming modern sharks started to appear.

In 2010, the fossilized remains of the 30-foot (10-meter) shark Ptychodus mortoni, which swam the ocean 89 million years ago, were found in Kansas (Kansas at that time lay under a vast inland sea). Only a jaw was found-a very big jaw-lined with hundreds of flat teeth that would have helped it crush shellfish. Thus, despite its size, it was likely a slow-moving, bottom-dwelling shark.

Around the same time lived the Ginsu Shark (Cretoxyrhina mantelli)-a slightly smaller shark, at 20 feet (6 meters) long, but much more fearsome. The Ginsu is one of the better-known ancient sharks because paleontologists found a nearly complete fossilized spine for the species, along with 250 very impressive teeth. They were very sharp, 6 centimeters long, and likely used to kill and eat larger fish prey. Ginsu teeth have been found embedded in pleisiosaur and mosasaur bones, suggesting that they may have gone after small marine reptiles as well.

Another group of sharks known as the crow sharks (Squalicorax) were smaller, at around one-third the size of the Ginsu. Instead of ruling as fierce predators, crow sharks were likely scavengers that fed upon already-dead animals. Paleontologists think this because bones of large animals from this period have been found covered with crow shark bite marks.

The Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction 65 million years ago wiped out the dinosaurs-but not the sharks. Approximately 80 percent of the shark, ray and skate families survived this extinction event. Some of those that survived are the ancestors of the sharks alive today.

Becoming Modern Sharks

In the 65 million years since the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction, sharks have continued to evolve and become the diverse group of cartilaginous fishes we see today.

Some modern sharks have direct ancestors from before the Cretaceous extinction event. Cow sharks date back to 190 million years ago, while the snake-like frilled sharks have fossils from 95 million years ago. That doesn't mean that these modern animals are identical to their ancient versions; on the contrary, they have certainly undergone evolution and changed over the millions of years of their existence. But paleontologists are fairly certain that our modern sharks are directly related to extinct relatives known to us by fossils.

The lamnoid sharks (order Lamniformes)-including the great white, mako and thresher sharks, among others-also can trace their lineage into the Cretaceous. But paleontologists don't have a good sense of which ancient sharks species evolved into modern lamnoid sharks. Their ancient ancestors left behind many fossilized teeth, but there isn't an easy way to put them in order without more information provided by fossilized skeletons. One well-known extinct relative of modern lamnoid sharks is the Megalodon (Carcharodon megalodon), which was more than 50 feet long with seven-inch teeth and lived 16 million years ago. (It went extinct 1.6 million years ago.) For many years, some scientists believed that the Megalodon was an ancestor of the great white shark-but great whites are more closely related to ancestors of modern mako sharks. It is likely that the Megalodon and great white sharks even coexisted, with the Megalodon feeding primarily on whales and the great white on seals.

One notable feature of sharks is that large filter feeders evolved separately multiple times. Between 65 and 35 million years ago, several sharks evolved away from predation and towards filtering tiny plankton out of the water for sustenance. An ancestor of the modern-day carpet sharks evolved into the whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) we see today, while two ancient ancestors of the mackerel sharks evolved into basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) and megamouth sharks (Megachasma pelagios).

The shark family that evolved most recently is that of hammerhead sharks ( Sphyrnidae), which first appeared 50 to 35 million years ago.

Distribution

Sharks are found in waters throughout the world, from shallow water to the deepest parts of the ocean. Some species migrate vast distances, moving between various locations to breed and find the best sources of food. Some of these migrations are fairly easy to track. For example, every winter in Florida, blacktip sharks head from the open ocean to the shore where they mate and breed. Thousands of these sharks migrate at once and come close to shore, making it easy for people to spot them and scientists to study them.

But sharks migrating far offshore and traveling individually are more difficult to track. To make up for this, scientists are using tagging and tracking technologies to learn about their movements. They will often place a computerized tag on the back of a shark that sends information about its GPS location back to the scientists on land. They've found that great white sharks have far more complex migration patterns than once thought, as they move throughout the Pacific in order to find food. New tagging and tracking technology has also allowed researchers to get a better idea of where the gentle whale sharks go after gathering to feed on plankton off the coast of Central and South America. Even so, new populations continue to be discovered, showing how much we still have to learn about the biggest of all sharks.

Several shark species also migrate between deeper and shallower water every day; these migrations are called diel vertical migrations. The distance of these daily migrations range from 30 to 300 feet (tens to hundreds of meters) depending on the shark species. Blue sharks (Prionace glauca), for example, spend their nights near the ocean's surface (top 325 feet or 100 meters), but will dive down to depths of 1300 feet (400 meters)-and occasionally deeper to 1900 feet (600 meters)-and back to the surface throughout the day. One of the biggest changes when moving between depths is the temperature. In the blue shark study, water at the surface was around 79°F (26°C) and around 46°F (8°C) at 1300 feet (400 meters)-that's a big difference! It's likely that the sharks are willing to put up with such cold temperatures in order to hunt deep-water prey like squids and octopods, and then return to the surface to warm up again. Other sharks like the lesser-spotted catshark (Scyliorhinus canicula) spend their days in deeper water (65 feet or 20 meters), but swim to the surface at night -probably to keep warm.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

Growth

Shark lifespans are not well known and vary quite a lot among species. Scientists figure out the age of most species of fish by counting the "rings" on their otoliths (tiny calcium carbonate structures in their ears) like the rings on a tree. But this isn't so easy for sharks because their otoliths are the size of a grain of sand and are thus very difficult to see. Another method measures the growth of shark vertebrae using similar "rings," but how frequently the rings are laid down varies from species to species, making that method unreliable.

Recently, scientists have been using a new method of determining shark age: by using a radiocarbon timestamp found in the vertebrae of sharks left over from nuclear bomb testing in the 1950s and 1960s. Using this method, they've found that sharks likely live much longer than previously thought. For example, the oldest male great white shark was 70 years old, and the oldest female was 40 years old. That is much longer than previous estimates of about 20 years. Similarly, sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) were found to live up to 40 years, which is 11 years longer than expected.

Sharks grow and mature slowly and reproduce only a small number of young in their lifetimes. Unlike most bony fish, they put a lot of effort into producing a small number of highly developed young at birth rather than releasing a large number of eggs that have a high probability of not surviving. Because of these traits, sharks are particularly susceptible to overfishing. (see ' Fishing For Sharks')

Mating

All sharks produce young through internal fertilization. A male shark does not have a penis. He has two claspers on the rear of his underside, attached to his pelvic fins, which he inserts into a female shark to deliver sperm to her eggs. We don't know a lot about the specifics of how sharks mate since not many sharks have been caught in the act. Typically the male will only use one of his claspers at a time, depending on the pair's position (although some shark species may use both claspers). Sometimes they mate side by side, while other times the female will lay upside down.

Female sharks can store male sperm in order to fertilize an egg later on if the time isn't right for reproduction. There are also several cases of internal asexual reproduction in sharks, a phenomenon called parthenogenesis. This occurred when a captive female shark isolated from males had a shark pup. Scientists think this may be a last-ditch attempt at reproduction when a male isn't present, and that it likely does not happen very often in the wild.

Brooding

There are three different ways that a baby shark can be born once a female shark has a fertilized egg, depending on the species.

Viviparity is when a shark nourishes her growing shark embryo internally and gives birth to a fully-functional live pup. These shark species, like the hammerheads ( Sphyrnidae), maintain a placental link to the embryo, similar to humans.

In aplacental viviparity, also called ovoviviparity, there is no placental link. The most common type of reproduction in sharks, ovoviviparity occurs when the egg hatches while still inside the mother. Once hatched, the embryo gains nutrition from what remains of the egg yolk, nutritious fluids from the mother's womb, and sometimes from consuming other eggs in the uterus. Sand tiger sharks (Carcharias taurus) will actually eat their siblings in the womb. Female sand tiger sharks often mate with several different males, producing a litter of shark pups from a number of fathers. Researchers think that the larger sharks will consume their smaller siblings that are not as closely related to prevent competition.

Other shark species release an egg case, where the developing embryo gains nutrients from a yolk. This is called oviparity. Typically sharks that live on the seafloor, like the swellshark (Cephaloscyllium ventriosum), are oviparous. They attach their egg case to a rock or other hard surface, or wedge it into a safe spot on a sandy bottom or rocky area. Pacific white skates will attach their egg casings near the warmth of hydrothermal vents, potentially as a way to speed up the incubation process. The egg case of most sharks is a leathery transparent brown, with slits on either side that allow water to flow through to replenish oxygen in the sac. The tiny shark moves around to help facilitate the water movement and, once the nutrients from the yolk sac are used up, the small shark makes it way out of the case to fend for itself. The empty egg cases often wash up on beaches and are referred to as "mermaid purses."

In the Food Web

Feeding

You can find a shark that eats just about anything: the whale shark, the biggest fish in the sea, eats only tiny plankton, while the bonnethead shark gets some of its nutrition from seagrass, a type of underwater plant. Tiger sharks have even been found with license plates and nails in their stomachs. But most sharks are carnivorous and eat animals ranging from crustaceans (like crabs) to squid, fish and marine mammals like seals and sea lions. Some sharks have even been found with giant squid beaks in their stomachs!

Many sharks, however, have developed specific mechanisms that help that capture their prey. Some bottom dwelling sharks like wobbegongs (also called carpet sharks) hide and ambush their prey, sucking them up with small mouths. Some sharks swallow their prey whole, but others rely on very sharp teeth to break apart food-especially food larger than themselves. The thresher shark (Alopias genus) has a long, tapered tail that is slaps into a school of fish to stun them and grab its meal. The whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus) tends to hunt alone, sometimes chasing its prey into a crack and sealing the exit with its body. Sawsharks, meanwhile, get their name from their saw-like snout that is used to scrape up invertebrates from the seafloor and to stun fish.

The cookie-cutter shark (Isistius brasiliensis) is an especially unusual case. Although its name makes it seem like a Muppet, this shark is actually a quite intimidating creature that takes large round cookie-cutter shaped bites out of animals such as tuna, whales, dolphins, and seals. They sneak up and suction onto larger animals and twist around to take a bite of flesh using their lower row of sharp teeth and tongue-like basihyal.

There are also some large species of sharks that are plankton feeders. The basking shark, megamouth shark and whale shark all consume the tiny crustaceans. Their teeth are small and they have modifications on their gills that act like sieves to capture the plankton so they can swallow them in large gulps.

Although scientists have yet to find a truly vegetarian shark, the bonnethead shark eats a substantial amount of leafy greens. Inhabitants of seagrass meadows, the sharks chow down on crabs, shrimp, and fish and in the process also swallow the seagrass. Over half the shark's diet is seagrass, and they are about as efficient at absorbing nutrients from the seagrass as sea turtles, an almost completely herbivorous animal.

Predation on Sharks

Large sharks have few natural predators besides other sharks, although some small juvenile sharks are eaten by birds and large fish. Sharks are primarily killed by humans both intentionally and unintentionally as bycatch. Because of sharks slow growth and low reproduction rates, the rate at which humans are killing sharks is endangering shark populations and ecosystems throughout the world. (see ' Conservation')

Fishing For Sharks

It's estimated that 100 million sharks are killed every year by commercial and recreational fisheries. Until recently, fishermen and governments didn't keep very good track of official shark catches. Instead of reporting shark catches by species, they'd report all sharks together or even grouped sharks and rays together. That makes it difficult to know how many sharks were fished historically. Regardless, today scientists estimate that one-quarter of shark species, along with their ray and chimaera relatives, are threatened with extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria.

Sharks are particularly vulnerable to overfishing. They grow slowly, reproduce late compared to other fishes, and don't have many offspring at once. Combined, these traits make them slow to replenish their populations when they are fished or otherwise killed at such fast rates. A 2005 study comparing sharks and bony fishes found that sharks have twice the extinction risk of bony fishes.

(Brian Skerry)

Some sharks are caught by fisheries targeting sharks specifically. Not all are caught intentionally, however. Sharks are often caught as bycatch-which means that, while the fishermen were trying to catch a different kind of fish, they accidentally catch sharks in their nets too. Some bigger open ocean-swimming sharks are caught by longline fisheries aiming for big fish like swordfish or tuna. For example, large shark abundance decreased by 21 percent in the tropical Pacific after industrial fishing began in the 1950s. The 90 percent of elasmobranchs (sharks, skates and rays) that live near the seafloor are particularly susceptible to fisheries that drag a net across the ocean bottom (trawling). This can change local shark populations dramatically. For example, between 1972 and 2002, after shrimping began in the Gulf of Mexico, some populations of shallow water sharks and ray species dropped by up to 99 percent. Such a big change doesn't just affect the sharks, but also their prey and the rest of the ecosystem. (See 'Ecosystem Effects')

Today, fins are the most valuable part of a shark. The targeted shark-fin fisheries around the world are trading the fins of roughly 100 to 273 million sharks every year (according to a 2013 estimate). Driving this trade is the demand for and consumption of shark fin soup in Asia. Historically shark fin soup was only affordable to the richest people, but as the middle class has grown, it has become a more mainstream menu item. Some of the shark fins used to make this soup are cut off and sold at market alongside the shark they came from. But many are cut off of live sharks, which are then thrown back into the ocean (to save space on board for the more valuable fins) to drown- a practice known as shark finning. This practice is increasingly seen as cruel and wasteful, and around the world regulations are being put into effect to end shark finning. (See 'Shark Protections' below)

Ecosystem Effects

Sharks can play a large role in their ecosystems, no matter their size. Big predatory sharks require a lot of food. So the removal of too many large sharks can have a ripple effect on the populations of their prey: if you remove the sharks, too many prey are able to survive, and those then compete with one another (and other animals) for food, shifting the food web.

One of the types of prey that can be greatly affected by shark removal is smaller sharks and rays. Often, large sharks are among the only animals that eat small sharks. And so when large sharks are overfished, researchers sometimes see an increase in smaller shark populations. For example, as large sharks were removed from the coast of New England in the 1970s by fisheries, dogfish catch actually went up five-fold into the late 1980s. This suggests that dogfish were able to thrive once their predators disappeared. But then, as fisheries went after dogfish at higher rates, their populations dropped in turn.

Large sharks also commonly prey upon sea turtles, seabirds and marine mammals; in fact, sharks are some of the few predators of large marine mammals. Because of this, their presence or absence can have a large effect on prey populations. The presence of tiger sharks in Shark Bay, Australia, for example, changes the behavior of sea turtles, dolphins and dugongs, which avoid shark-infested waters even when food is abundant there.

One place where shark numbers have definitely decreased is on coastal coral reefs around the world. Healthy coral reefs far from human settlements have many sharks-far more than their top predator counterparts like lions on land. But when humans move in, sharks disappear unless they are protected. A recent study found that in the Pacific islands, shark density is only 3-10 percent what it would be if no people lived in the area. Because humans have lived near reefs for so long, it's hard to know what these ecosystems should look like with a healthy number of sharks-and thus what effect the removal of sharks is having. Recent studies of remote uninhabited islands show that top shark predators outnumber their prey, in some cases making up 50 to 80 percent of the biomass on a reef! They are able to maintain this ratio because of the speedy transfer of energy up the food chain.

Shark Protections

Shark populations have been in trouble for decades due to overfishing. In 2009, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Redlist released a report from its Shark Specialist Group that reviewed the status of 64 species of open ocean sharks and rays and found that 32 percent were threatened with extinction. The report called on governments to increase protections of sharks through science based catch limits, end shark finning and improve monitoring and research, among other recommendations.

In U.S. waters, shark finning has been banned since 2000 when the Shark Finning Prohibition Act was signed into law. The law said that fishing vessels could not transport or possess shark fins without the corresponding shark body within 200 miles of U.S. shore. The fins could be separated from the animal aboard the ship, but the carcass must also be kept on board. However, there were several loopholes in the legislation that let people transfer fins on non-fishing vessels, and the sale and trade of fins were not addressed.

The law also was difficult to enforce. For example, regulators typically make sure fishermen aren't breaking this type of law through a shark fin conversion ratio. Measurements of the weight of shark fins are taken and compared to the weight of the remainder of the sharks; if the fins weigh more than an established ratio, it is presumed that illegal shark finning was taking place. (Under the Shark Finning Prohibition Act, the shark fin conversion ratio was 5 percent.) But this method can be difficult to enforce (PDF) because the ratio of fin weight to body weight varies among shark species. As a result, illegal fishers are sometimes able to fake the fin ratio, leaving some shark bodies behind in the water while fooling regulators.

In 2011 the Shark Conservation Act was signed into law. This act closed loopholes in the Shark Finning Prohibition Act and banned shark finning, the possession or transfer of fins and the landing of any shark without its fins "naturally attached." (The "fins attached" regulation applies to all sharks in U.S. waters except for the smooth dogfish, which is commercially fished under different regulations on the East Coast of the U.S.) The Shark Conservation Act doesn't, however, manage any trade of shark fins once they are caught. Hawaii was the first U.S. state to ban the possession, sale and trade of shark fins, and was quickly followed by a handful of other states. Currently nine states have these laws: Hawaii, California, Oregon, Washington, Illinois, Maryland, Delaware, New York and Massachusetts.

(© Jeff Rotman/jeffrotman.com)

In addition to finning bans in the U.S. federal and state laws, shark populations are managed under the National Marine Fisheries Service in regional fisheries management plans. These plans reflect the results of research, population assessments and work with fishermen. Additionally, two populations of scalloped hammerhead sharks were listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in July 2014, making them the first sharks protected under the law.

Reducing the accidental catching of sharks as bycatch has also been an important goal. In California, for example, the banning of nearshore gillnets has reduced shark mortality. Similarly, changes in hook and fishing line design make it easier for sharks to escape and improve their ability to survive after their release when they are caught by mistake.

Because sharks roam widely and don't stick to one country's coastline, various international bodies also play a role in shark conservation. In 1994, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recommended that the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations establish a method to maintain biological and trade data on sharks in order to curb their overexploitation. This led to the creation of the International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, which was led by the FAO and implemented in 1999 after a series of workshops and consultations with shark experts. Countries that are a party to the United Nations participate in the International Plan of Action voluntarily. CITES also lists the basking shark, whale shark and great white shark under their Appendix II, which regulates their trade to protect the threatened species. Six more shark and ray species were added to Appendix II in September 2014. Regional fisheries management organizations, such as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna, manage fish species that travel between international lines. They have various shark finning prohibitions and regulations among 17 geographic regions worldwide.

Individual countries around the world have taken steps to protect sharks in the form of fishing regulations, shark finning bans, sale and trade bans, transport bans and shark sanctuaries where no (or limited) shark fishing is allowed. Palau became the first country to implement a shark sanctuary in 2009, banning all shark fishing in its 240,000 square miles of territorial water. Many countries have followed suit with various levels of protection. The Chinese government will no longer serve shark fin soup at official functions, and a number of hotels and supermarkets have pledged not to sell or serve shark fin products. Even some airline companies are banning the transport of fins on their planes.

You can see how efforts to protect sharks have spread through time in the animated map below. Demand for shark fins has dropped in some Asian markets, and some shark populations are slowly beginning to increase.

Books, Film and Media

Humans have long had a fascination with sharks, portraying them in books, movies, TV shows and other media as violent human killers. In the mainstream media, shark "attacks" often make headline news. Popular movies like Jaws and Sharknado have furthered our fear of sharks, despite the fact that millions of sharks are killed by humans every year and technically, you are more likely to be killed by a vending machine than a shark.

But sharks rarely attack humans, at least not purposefully. Often humans simply get in the way of sharks finding a bite to eat. When this happens, a shark may take a misaligned bite of human skin, and then retreat when they realize that this was not, in fact, a seal or other item on their prey list.

The Discovery Channel shark celebration "Shark Week" has been releasing over-the-top shark documentaries and parodies since its inception in 1987. Although peppered with informative pieces about sharks, a large proportion of their production centers around sharing scary shark stories, and in recent years fake documentaries that perpetuate myths about the species (such as "Megalodon: The Monster Shark Lives," which indicates that the extinct shark ancestor is actually alive).

Biology of Sharks and Rays Books News Articles Scientific Papers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home Ocean Life Sharks & Rays http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/sharks Sharks There are more than 500 species of sharks swimming in the world's ocean. Yet when most people think of these cartilaginous fish, a single image comes to mind: a large, sharp-toothed and scary beast. That generalization does sharks a huge disservice, as they have far more variety than that.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With over 500 known species to date, sharks come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, each with their own unique behaviours and fascinating anatomy. They have roamed the Earth's seas for 400 million years, pre-dating dinosaurs by 200 million, and unlike many creatures have remained almost completely unchanged.

Sitting at the top of the marine food chain, sharks are the majestic creatures of the sea, surrounded by myth and misconception and striking fear into many due to their often negative media coverage and movie portrayals. Although it is understandable that many would prefer not to come face to face with a shark, attacks on humans are extremely rare and they are much more scared of us than we could ever be of them. Shark levels are in actual fact declining and are amongst the most threatened marine vertebrates on Earth, with some species facing extinction. Sadly, many of the threats they face are a result of humans, and include recreational fishing, shark finning, habitat loss, pollution, and bycatching.
Short on time? Skip right to the shark facts.

If you ask someone to picture a shark, they'll most like envisage their torpedo-like body shape, large distinctive dorsal fin and gaping tooth filled jaws. From the outside sharks may appear quite primitive, but despite being an ancient group of animals they are actually highly sophisticated. The general anatomy of sharks is fairly consistent across the different species, and the fact that they have remained unchanged for so long underlines just how effective their anatomical make-up is.

Unlike most fish that have just one gill, sharks boast five to seven gill slits on the sides of the head, and rely on a large oil filled liver for buoyancy as opposed to a gas-filled swim bladder. This liver takes up around 30% of their total body mass, and they use this in conjunction with forward movement to control vertical position.

Sharks belong to a family of fish known as Elasmobranchii, a subclass of Chondrichthyes, or in simple terms, cartilaginous fish. Chondrichthyes have skeletons made up of cartilage rather than bone, and lack a swim bladder. This particular class of fish contains over 600 species, including sharks, rays and skates.

Cartilage is lighter, more durable and more flexible than bone, contributing to Shark's overall agility whilst also saving energy - vital when sharks must invest so much in constantly moving to prevent sinking.

Jaw

The jaws of sharks are not attached to their skull, instead moving separately with independent upper and lower jaws. This allows them to lift their head and thrust their mouth forward to bite it's prey. While this varies among different species, most sharks have this ability to some degree.

Due to the sheer stress that this area of the shark is likely to experience, the surface of shark's jaws have extra support in the form of tiny hexagonal plates called 'tesserae' - calcium salt deposits which give shark cartilage more strength. Often there is just one layer of tesserae, but larger sharks such as the great white shark have three or more layers.

Sharks may have up to 3,000 teeth at one time and are fully embedded into the gums, as opposed to being directly affixed to the jaw. The shape and size of the teeth vary depending on their purpose, and there are four main types of shark teeth:

Needle-like teeth are typically found in sharks whose diet consist of small to medium sized fish, or even other small sharks. They are particular effective at gripping onto agile and slippery fish.

Serrated, wedge like teeth are found in larger species that feed on larger prey, and are effective at cutting off chunks of flesh for easy swallowing. The great white shark is a prime example of a specie with this feeding habit.

Teeth which serve no purpose at all are found in plankton feeders such as the basking and whale shark, who use their gills to filter feed.

Dense, plate like teeth are used to crush the shells of prey like bivalves and crustaceans, and are found in smaller sharks such as the nurse or angel.

Sharks continuously grow multiple rows of replacement teeth in a groove inside of the jaw, and are usually replaced one at a time as opposed to entire rows. It is estimated that some sharks may lose 30,000 or more teeth in their lifetime, with replacement rates varying from several days to several months.

Fins and Tails

The majority of sharks have 8 rigid fins:

A pair of pectoral fins that lift the shark as it swims

One or two dorsal fins that offer stability

A pair of pelvic fins that offer stability

An anal fin that again, offers stability

A caudal fin (tail) that propels the shark forward

The shark's tail provides it's forward motion, with speed and acceleration dependent on shape and size. Some tails boast large upper lobes for slow cruising with short and sudden bursts of speed, whereas others have larger lower lobes for continued pace.

Most shark species are carnivorous, and no, humans are not on the menu. The gentle giants such as the whale and basking shark feed on plankton, filtering the water and trapping small organisms with sieve like filaments.

The range of prey is extremely broad, from small bivalves and crustaceans, to seals, birds and even other sharks. Generally sharks eat live prey, but have been known to feed on large whale carcasses.

Sharks exist in all seas, within a wide range of aquatic habitats and varying temperatures. They generally avoid fresh water, with the exception of the bull and river sharks that can swim between both sea and fresh water.

They are commonly found to a depth of 2,000 meters, with some existing even deeper. 'Pelagic' sharks such as the great white prefer large open waters, where as 'benthic' sharks such as the wobbegong are found skating along the ocean floor. Sharks are typically confined to their suited habitat for their entire lives, whereas some may migrate short distances or even entire oceans for the purpose of feeding or breeding.

Many people will already have their own idea of the typical behaviour of a shark - a solitary creature roaming the seas in search of prey, attacking ferociously and instilling fear into those who dare venture into the ocean. This is predominantly due to negative media and movie portrayal, and is far from the truth.

Only a handful of species are solitary hunters, such as the great white shark, but even these species often coexist at active hunting or breeding grounds. Most execute a range of social behaviour, hunting in packs or congregating in large numbers.

Sharks typical cruise at an average speed of 8km per hour, as they need to keep moving in order to breathe. However, some shark species have adapted to benthic living, resting on the sea bed and actively pumping water over their gills. While we don't know for sure, sharks never enter a true state of sleep. They do appear to have periods of inactivity, but their eyes remain open and even track the movements of their surroundings. However experiments have shown that some species are able to 'sleep swim', in which they are essentially unconscious while meandering around the ocean. This is possible due to the swimming being coordinated by their spinal cord as opposed to their brain.

It's often common knowledge that sharks are able to detect a drop of blood from miles and miles away, which is true to an extent. Their acute sense of smell is able to detect blood at one part per million, giving them the ability to determine the direction of a particular scent based on the time it takes to reach one nostril compared to the other. Unlike many mammals, the shark's nostrils are used purely for smell as opposed to breathing, and are located on the underside of their snout.

As well as their keen olfactory senses, sharks also have great eyesight. A mirror like layer in the back of the eye called the tapetum lucidum (the same found in cats), doubles the intensity of incoming light and allowing them to see exceptionally well in dim conditions. While sharks do have eyelids, they do not blink, instead relying on surrounding water to clean their eyes. Some sharks boast tough membranes that slides over and protects the eyes while hunting or being attacked. Species that do not have this membrane instead roll their eyes backwards when striking prey.

While not as visibly present, sharks do have ears which are located within a small opening on each side of their head. Because sound travels faster in water, sharks rely on it heavily to alert them to prey or danger, and can detect sounds from over 800 feet away.

Sharks can also detect electricity, something which all living things emit, albeit in small amounts. This is due to the electroreceptors located within their snout, numbering in the hundreds to thousands. Sharks rely on this sensory organ, called the ampullae of Lorenzini, to pick up on small electromagnetic fields emitted by their prey, even detecting tiny creatures hidden beneath the sand.

Reproduction

Most sharks live 20-30 years, maturing slowly and reaching a reproductive age anywhere from 12 to 15 years. While the majority of fish produce a large amount of small eggs, sharks are a k-selected species, which means they produce a small number of larger, more developed young. This results in a relatively high survival rate when compared to a large number of poorly developed young.

Mating between sharks is still rarely observed, especially between the larger species such as the great white.

General Shark Facts

All sharks are carnivorous
Ranging from small bivalves and crustaceans, to seals and even other sharks.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shark Facts * Interesting Information & Facts About Sharks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With over 500 known species to date, sharks come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, each with their own unique behaviours and fascinating anatomy. They have roamed the Earth's seas for 400 million years, pre-dating dinosaurs by 200 million, and unlike many creatures have remained almost completely unchanged.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Though they've been around long before we walked this Earth, sharks are still a group of fish that fascinate us to this day. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, they are one of the apex predators found in our oceans, with the ability to claim life in an instant. It can also have something to do with their immense size, razor sharp teeth, and sometimes odd appearances. Whatever the case may be, dozens of marine biologists and marine lovers alike try to find as much information about sharks as they possibly can.

Luckily, you can find all the information about sharks that you'll like at Sharksider. Our team of marine experts has created a website that is your go-to destination for anything shark-related. Whether you're curious about a hammerhead shark's diet, or the strength of a great white shark jaw, we have it covered!

If you're a lover of sharks or just nature in general, let us provide you with some general information about sharks in order for you to develop a better understanding of these fascinating, and often brilliant, sea creatures.

Physical Characteristics

Firstly, there are approximately 460 known shark species living in our oceans today. They belong to a family of fish whose skeletons are made up of cartilage rather than bone. Cartilage is a tissue that is a lot more flexible and lighter than bone. We humans have cartilage is specific areas of our body, including our ears and nose. This material allows sharks to more durable when traveling through the ocean and exploring the ocean floor.

The skin of a shark is also something to be aware of. The shark's skin consists of a collection of scales that act as an outer skeleton for the fish species. This, along with cartilage makeup of the fish, allows the shark to have easy movement in the ocean, along with the ability to save energy when it needs it most.

Sharks, like other fish, possess gills in order to breathe underwater. They generally have about five to seven-gill slits that are located on either side of their bodies. These gills filter the ocean water in order to obtain the oxygen that is necessary for these creatures to survive. Think of these gills as the "lungs" of the shark.

Fearsome Teeth And A Big Appetite

Probably the most recognizable, and at the same time, most fearsome, part of the shark is their teeth. All sharks have multiple rows of teeth, which help them attack and ingest prey. Unlike humans, these teeth will fall out on a regular basis, being replaced with brand teeth in the process. These teeth, along with their powerful jaws, are what make sharks an apex predator in our oceans.

Speaking of teeth and prey, let's provide some more information about sharks by talking about their usual diet. Unlike Hollywood movies, sharks don't have a craving for humans. While shark attacks do occur, it's not because these sharks are outwardly looking for human prey. These accidents usually occur because a human swimmer gets too close to a shark's territory, or they are mistaken for a seal (which is common since most swimsuits that surfers use are silky black just like the fur of a seal.). Instead, sharks will feast on small fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plankton, krill, marine mammals, and even other sharks.

One of the most fascinating shark facts to consider is their ability to detect blood in the ocean water. That's one aspect of Hollywood that actually holds true in real life. Sharks have the ability to detect blood from miles away, allowing them to identify their next meal from long distances. If you are swimming in shark waters and cut yourself, make your way to the shore as quick as you can!

Obtain More Information At Sharksider!
There is a lot more information about sharks and their ways at our website! Our team of experts will go over aspects of life such as habitat, behavior, and reproduction! We also provide extensive looks into specific shark species, such as the hammerhead and the great white shark! Did this information about sharks peek your interests? If so, please browse the rest of our website today!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Information About Sharks - Characteristics and Behavior

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Though they've been around long before we walked this Earth, sharks are still a group of fish that fascinate us to this day. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, they are one of the apex predators found in our oceans, with the ability to claim life in an instant.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Information About Sharks And Exactly What They Are - Shark Sider

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get great information about sharks here, like what exactly sharks are, the different species of shark and how different sharks of the world behave and live.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

The shark is the largest fish in the sea and belongs to the Chondrichthyes class of fish. They have been around for more than 300 million years and were around even before dinosaurs. There are about 350 different types of sharks, but researchers think there are other sharks that haven't been discovered yet. See the fact file below for more information on Sharks or alternatively download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

A shark does not have a single bone in it body, instead it has a skeleton made up of cartilage. Cartilage is a tough material, like the material that shapes your ear. A shark has two dorsal fins on its back, one beneath its body, which is called the pectoral fin (all species do not have that) and the tail which is the caudal fin.

Sharks are strong, healthy creatures. No other living thing can take better care of itself than a shark can. Sharks never get cancer, so their cartilage is being studied with the hope of developing anti-cancer drugs.

Most sharks live for about 25 years, while some can live to be a 100 years too.

Most kinds of sharks can swim up to 20-40 miles per hour. The Mako shark is said to be able to swim at more than 60 miles per hour.

Not all species of sharks are required to be in continuous motion to breathe, however a shark's body is heavier than the sea, so if it stops moving it will sink. Sharks do not sleep in the same way as humans. Even if they seem to be sleeping they are not, instead they are just resting.

A shark's teeth are usually replaced every eight days. Some species of sharks shed about 30,000 teeth in their lifetime. When a shark loses a tooth, one replaces it. A Whale Shark has more than 4,000 teeth, but each is less than 1/8 inch long.

The largest shark teeth found belonged to a Carcharodon Magaloden shark and are 6 inches long. This shark is extinct and lived more than 4.5 million years ago.

Sharks have very good senses. Sometimes a shark is called "a swimming nose", for its great sense of smell. Sharks can easily detect prey that is in the sand, as well as at night.

A shark also has a remarkable sensitivity to vibrations in the water. It can feel the movements made by other animals that are hundreds of feet away. They can hear sounds from thousands of feet away. Sharks can tell the direction from where the sound is coming from, too.

A shark's skin is covered by small, razor-sharp teeth called denticles. These can be removed from the shark's body. Once removed, the remaining skin is made into strong leather.

Some sharks lay eggs, while most give birth to babies. The Hammerhead and Tiger shark can have as many as 40 babies at one time, while the others can have six to twelve.

One good meal is enough to satisfy a shark's hunger. The meal can last a shark for a long period because it uses very little energy to swim. Some sharks hold food in their stomachs without it being digested. If they eat a big meal, it can last three or more months.

Weird things have been found inside a shark, such as a nail, a bottle of wine, a treasure chest, coats, a suit of armor, a drum and a torpedo. Like humans, sharks are at the top of the food chain. More people are killed by bee stings than by shark attacks.

The Whale shark is considered the biggest fish in the world. The Whale shark is about 90,000 pounds in weight. The Basking shark is the second largest. It can be as long as 40 feet.

The Pygmy shark is about 11 inches in length. The Dwarf shark is as tiny as a human hand. Great white sharks can grow about 10 inches every year, which means they can grow to be 12 to 14 feet long.

Sharks Worksheets

This bundle contains 11 ready-to-use Sharks Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about the world's largest fish. Did you know? Sharks have been around for more than 300 million years and were around even before dinosaurs! Learn more about these fascinating creatures through these worksheets.

Download includes the following worksheets
Sharks Back In Time Modern Sharks
Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Shark Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 7, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Shark Facts, Worksheets & Information For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample The shark is the largest fish in the sea and belongs to the Chondrichthyes class of fish. They have been around for more than 300 million years and were around even before dinosaurs.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fun shark facts for kids including photos and printable activity worksheets; suitable for Kindergarten through Grade 6.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
sharks shark rays ray elasmobranchii elasmobranchs elasmobranch batoidea batoids batoid stingrays stingray electric skates skate guitarfishes guitarfish sawfishes sawfish selachii selachians selachian infobook book

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All About Sharks and Rays | SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Take a deep dive and learn all about sharks - from what they like to eat to how they care for their young. Click here for a library of shark resources.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
(Image credit: Elephant image <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com">Shutterstock</a>)

Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, and they're one of the most unique-looking animals, too. With their characteristic long noses, or trunks; large, floppy ears; and wide, thick legs, there is no other animal with a similar physique.

Most experts recognize two species of elephant: the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus) and the African elephant ( Loxodonta africana), who live on separate continents and have many unique features. There are several subspecies that belong to one or the other of these two main species, though experts argue over how many subspecies there are and whether or not they constitute separate species, according to the San Diego Zoo.

African and Asian elephants

African elephants live in sub-Saharan Africa, the rainforests of Central and West Africa and the Sahel desert in Mali, according to National Geographic. Asian elephants live in Nepal, India and Southeast Asia in scrub forests and rainforests. [ Elephant Images: The Biggest Beasts on Land]

African elephants are the larger of the two species. They grow to between 8.2 and 13 feet (2.5 and 4 meters) tall at the shoulder and weigh 5,000 to 14,000 lbs. (2,268 to 6,350 kilograms), according to National Geographic (opens in new tab). Asian elephants are just a little smaller, growing to between 6.6 and 9.8 feet (2 and 3 m) tall at the shoulder and weighing between 4,500 and 11,000 lbs. (2,041 and 4,990 kg). In the wild, African elephants can live up to 70 years, and Asian elephants up to 60 years.

African and Asian elephants also have a few different physical features.

The ears of African elephant are larger and resemble the shape of the African continent, while Asian elephants have smaller, rounder ears, according to the San Diego Zoo.

Both male and female African elephants have large tusks and two "fingers" on the end of their trunks to help them pick items up. Asian elephants have a single "finger" on the end of their trucks. But typically, only male Asian elephants will grow large tusks, while the females and a few males have much smaller tusks called tushes that don't always grow outside the mouth.

Tusks are large, deeply rooted teeth that evolved to assist the elephant in digging, lifting, gathering food, and defense while also protecting the trunk, according to World Wildlife Fund. In the same way that humans tend to be right-handed or left-handed, elephants can be right-tusked or left-tusked. Their dominant tusk is easy to identify, because it will be more worn down than the less dominant tusk, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Both species eat all types of vegetation, including a variety of grasses, fruits, leaves, bark and roots. They spend about about 16 hours eating, consuming anywhere from 165 to 330 lbs. (75 to 150 kg) of food per day, according to the San Diego Zoo.

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Elephant life

Groups of elephants, or herds, follow a matriarchal structure with the eldest female in charge. Herds are composed of primarily female family members and young calves, according to the San Diego Zoo, and include 6 to 20 members depending on the food supply. When the family gets too large, herds often split into smaller groups that stay within the same area.

The matriarch relies on her experience and memory to recall where the best spots for food, water are, and where to find protection from the elements. The matriarch is also responsible for teaching the younger members of her family how to socialize with other elephants.

Elephants are very social and can communicate with one another and identify other elephants from distances of up to 2 miles using rumbling, low-pitched sounds that fall below the audible range of humans, according to the National Zoo.

Elephants readily show good manners to members within its herd and other herds, according to the San Diego Zoo. For example, they use their trunks to greet one another, either by holding it out high or by inserting the end of their trunk into another elephant's mouth.

Elephants also pay close attention to the well-being of all the members of their herd, and will do what they can to take care of and protect weak or injured members.

They're considered an extremely intelligent species, and have been observed showing advanced problem-solving skills and demonstrating empathy, mourning and self-awareness, according to an article in Scientific American.

(Image credit: Mark Wright/University of Hawaii Mānoa)

Next generation

Male and female elephants become sexually mature between 8 and 13 years of age. Male elephants will leave their herd around this time, as long as they're able to find their own food and protect themselves, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo. Adult males either live on their own or in small bachelor herds.

Females may not have their first calf until their middle teen years, while males may not father a calf until they are in their 30s, when they are large and strong enough to compete with other males, according to the National Zoo.

Usually, only a single calf is born following a 22-month pregnancy. A newborn calf weighs between 150 and 350 lbs. (68 and 158 kg) stands about 3 feet tall. Calves also tend to be hairy with long tails and very short trunks.

Elephant calves grow quickly, gaining 2 to 3 lbs. every day in their first year, according to the San Diego Zoo. By the time they are 2 or 3 years old, calves are ready to be weaned.

(Image credit: Chintan Mehta/Shutterstock)

Classification/Taxonomy

All elephants are mammals belonging to the elephantidae family. There are two subspecies of the African elephant: the savanna (or bush) elephant ( Loxodonta africana) and the forest elephant ( Loxodonta cyclotis). However, forest elephants may in fact be a distinct species of elephant instead of a subspecies, according to Cornell University.

There are three subspecies of Asian elephant: the Indian elephant ( Elephas maximus indicus), the Sri Lankan elephant ( Elephas maximus maximus), and the Sumatran elephant ( Elephas maximus sumatranus). Another possible subspecies is Elephas maximus borneensis (Borneo pygmy elephant). The World Wildlife Fund has determined that DNA evidence suggests that the Borneo pygmy elephant is genetically different from other Asian elephants.

Conservation status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the Asian elephant as endangered. Though it is not known exactly how many Asian elephants remain, experts believe that the population is decreasing.

The African elephant is considered vulnerable, according to the IUCN, and the species' population is increasing. According to the African Wildlife Foundation, there are around 415,000 African elephants in the wild.

Threats against the survival of both African and Asian elephants include poaching and habitat loss, according to World Wildlife Fund.
Additional resources: This article was updated on March 18, 2019, by Live Science Contributor Rachel Ross.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephants: Earth's Largest Living Land-Animals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
(Image credit: Elephant image Shutterstock ) Elephants are the largest land animals on Earth, and they're one of the most unique-looking animals, too. With their characteristic long noses, or trunks; large, floppy ears; and wide, thick legs, there is no other animal with a similar physique.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ELEPHANT Facts for Kids - Information About Elephants for Children, Elephant Sounds | Kiddopedia

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Elephant Information for Kids: What do elephants eat? Where do elephants live? How long do elephants live? How does an elephant sound? Do you know the weight of an elephant? Let us learn about some interesting facts about elephants.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephant - My animal friends - Animals Documentary -Kids educational Videos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephants for Children: Learn All About Elephants - FreeSchool

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Population & distribution

African elephants once roamed across most of the continent from the northern Mediterranean coast to the southern tip. But they are now confined to a much smaller range.

Savannah elephants occur in eastern and southern Africa, with the highest densities found in Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa. The forest elephant is found in the equatorial rainforest zone of west and central Africa, where relatively large blocks of dense forest still remain.

Since 1979, African elephants have lost over 50% of their range and this, along with massive poaching for ivory and trophies over the decades, has seen the population drop significantly.

Back in the early part of the 20th century, there may have been as many as 3-5 million African elephants. But there are now around 415,000.

Most countries in West Africa count their forest elephants in tens or hundreds, with animals scattered in small blocks of isolated forest. In contrast, savannah elephant populations in parts of southern Africa are large and expanding, with almost 300,000 elephants now roaming across the sub-region.

Significant elephant populations are now confined to well-protected areas. However, less than 20% of African elephant habitat is under formal protection.

Threats

Despite a ban on the international trade in ivory, African elephants are still being poached in large numbers. Their ivory tusks are the most sought after, but their meat and skin are also traded. Tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year for their tusks. The ivory is often carved into ornaments and jewellery - China is the biggest consumer market for such products.

The ban in international trade was introduced in 1989 by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and it allowed some populations to recover, especially where elephants were adequately protected.

But there has been an upsurge in poaching in recent years, which has led to steep declines in forest elephant numbers and some savannah elephant populations.

Thriving but unmonitored domestic ivory markets continue in a number of states, some of which have few elephants of their own remaining. Insufficient anti-poaching capacity, weak law enforcement and corruption compound the problem in some countries.

Meanwhile, as the human population expands, more land is being converted to agriculture. So elephant habitat is shrinking and becoming more fragmented.

This means elephants and people come into contact more often, and conflicts occur. Elephants sometimes raid farmers' fields and damage their crops - affecting the farmers' livelihoods - and may even kill people. Elephants are sometimes killed in retaliation.

With human populations continuing to grow across their range, habitat loss and degradation will remain major threats to elephants' survival.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
African elephants once roamed across most of the continent from the northern Mediterranean coast to the southern tip. But they are now confined to a much smaller range. Savannah elephants occur in eastern and southern Africa, with the highest densities found in Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia and South Africa.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Here is our expert guide to the world's largest land mammals, including key facts about the two elephant species and their natural habitat.

How many species of elephant are there?

There are two extant elephant species: the African bush elephant, also known as the African savannah elephant ( Loxodonta africana), and the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus).

Some taxonomists propose that the African forest elephant ( Loxodonta cyclotis) is a separate species to the African bush/savannah elephant, and other believe that there may even be three African elephant species with an additional one called the West African elephant. While the African elephants are closely related, the Asian elephant is quite distinct.

How to tell the different between an African and Asian elephant

Ears The African elephant's ears are much bigger than those of its Asian cousin, extending above the shoulder. It's said that the former's ears are the same shape as Africa, while the latter's look like India.

Tusks Both male and female African elephants grow long tusks, but only male Asian elephants do (and not all males). Some female Asian elephants grow 'tushes' - barely visible, stumpy tusks.

Head African elephants have more rounded foreheads, while Asian elephants have twin domes on their heads with an indent in the middle.

Trunk The tip of an African elephant's trunk has two fingers or 'lips'; the Asian elephant's trunk only has one.

Back While the African elephant's back is concave (with a small hollow in it), the Asian elephant's is convex (slightly domed).

Size In general, African elephants are larger. Adult males weigh up to six tonnes, while male Asian elephants usually weigh no more than five tonnes.

How intelligent are elephants?

Elephants are the world's largest land mammals - and, aside from the great apes (humans, gorillas, chimpanzees, bonobos and orangutans) - the most intelligent.

Are elephants dangerous?

They are well-known for living in matriarchal (female-led) social groups, and although elephants are respected and revered by people throughout their ranges in Africa and South Asia, they are also feared because they can be aggressive and dangerous.

When are elephants most dangerous?

Musth, pronounced 'must', is when males experience increases in testosterone levels of a factor of 60 or more. The changes prepare them for competing for females and make them much more aggressive. The condition is more pronounced in Asian elephants, and can last for up to 60 days. Elephants in musth carry their heads and ears higher than normal and make a characteristic rumbling sound. A bull elephant in musth can be extremely dangerous to anything that gets in his way.

Are elephants mammals?

Elephants are the world's largest land mammal. They're warm-blooded vertebrates that nurse their young with milk produced by mammary glands, and they're hairy creatures (the hairs are just small and sparse, so they don't look furry). That means they fulfil all the requirements to be mammals.

What do elephants eat?

Elephants eat a wide range of plant material, including grass, leaves, woody parts of trees and shrubs, flowers and fruits when available. After rain, they will dig for roots. Asian elephants feed on more than 100 species of plant, and both African and Asian elephants take crops such as millet. An adult needs to eat up to 150kg of food a day - that's 50 tonnes a year!

How much does an elephant weigh?

African bush elephants are not just the largest elephants but the largest land animals in the world, weighing in at around 6000kg and standing 3.2m tall at the shoulder, while females are about 60cm shorter and half the weight. Male Asian elephants weigh roughly 4000kg with a shoulder height of 2.75m, while the 2000kg, 2.2m tall African forest elephant is the smallest elephant species.

The largest elephant ever recorded was an incredible 3.96m tall and weighed a staggering 10,400kg.

How much does a baby elephant weigh?

Baby elephants weigh around 100kg on average, heavier than most adult men, and some newborns have been as large as 120kg. Those are figures for Africa bush elephants - baby elephants of other species are naturally smaller.

What is a baby elephant called?

Baby elephants are called calves.

How long is elephant gestation?

Elephants have one of the longest known gestations of any animal. African elephants have a gestation period of 22 months, while Asian elephants have a gestation period of 18-22 months. Elephants will typically only give birth two or three times in a decade, and young elephants may suckle for a few years.

What do elephants use their tusks for?

Tusks are actually hugely elongated upper incisor teeth embedded deep in the elephant's head (up to a third of a tusk is hidden from view). Elephant tusks have a variety of uses: as a tool to dig for food or water and to strip bark from trees; as a weapon in battles with rivals; and as a courtship aid - the larger his tusks, the more attractive a male elephant may appear to a female.

Can elephants be right or left-tusked?

Yes. Just as humans are right- or left-handed, elephants are known to use one tusk more than the other. This favoured appendage is sometimes referred to as the 'master tusk' and often appears more worn.

Do female elephants have tusks?

Male and female African elephants naturally have tusks, but only male Asian elephants grow them. However, this is changing, and an increasing number of African elephants are being born without tusks. Those that do still have tusks have much smaller tusks than in the past - the average size has halved in the last century.

Why are elephant tusks getting smaller? Because of hunting and poaching for ivory. The elephants with the biggest tusks are most likely to be targeted, so they get killed and aren't able to pass on their big-tusk genes to future generations.

How long do elephants live for?

African elephants have a lifespan of up to 70 years in the wild, but tend not to live quite so long in captivity. Asian elephants have a shorter lifespan of around 48 years.

Do elephants live alone or in groups?

Both African and Asian elephants form female-led, tight-knit groups consisting of a dominant matriarch, her female offspring and other female relations plus their calves. Occasionally, groups of elephants will allow 'strangers' to join them. Living in groups makes individuals safer and allows them to devote more time to caring for and teaching the young.

Do elephants recognise their reflections?

Elephants can recognise themselves in mirrors. Scientists believe this is a sign of greater self-awareness. In one study, an Asian elephant called Happy repeatedly touched an 'X' painted on her forehead while looking in the mirror, an indication that she knew she was looking at her own reflection. Most animals will assume that a reflection is another animal, and look for it behind the mirror.

Do baby elephants suck their trunks?

Yes they do! As in all young mammals, an elephant calf's sucking reflex, which prompts it to drink from its mother's breast, is strong. And when a youngster is not feeding, it may suck its trunk for comfort, just as a human baby would suck its thumb.

Newborn elephants have little control over their trunks and must learn how to use them. They practise by exploring their environment - touching fellow herd members, their surroundings and themselves. They must then master the use of their trunks for feeding. With more than 50,000 individual muscle units in the trunk, it's a complex skill to learn.

Though trunk-sucking is more common in the early stages of life, elephants of all ages do it, even big old bulls, usually when they are feeling nervous or unsure.

Sometimes an elephant that appears to be sucking its trunk is actually using it to smell, placing the tip inside its mouth after touching or sniffing dung or urine to assess pheromones produced by other elephants.

How good is an elephant's memory?

Elephants have amazing long-term memories. Scientists studying three herds in Tanzania found that, during a lengthy drought, the two herds led by older matriarchs left the drought area in search of water, and more of their group survived as a result. The scientists concluded that these older females had remembered a drought that had occurred more than 30 years earlier and knew what to do. One female elephant also recognised zoologist Iain Douglas-Hamilton even though she hadn't seen him for four years. Maybe it's really true that elephants never forget.

Can elephants feel empathy?

Elephants appear to understand what other elephants are feeling. Experiments show that when one elephant is unhappy, others share their feelings, something known as 'emotional contagion'. In these situations, they will go over to their 'friend' and comfort them, often by putting their trunk into the other's mouth, something that elephants find reassuring. Elephants will also assist other injured elephants, and even appear to mourn their dead.

Do elephants have a sixth sense?

Elephants may be able to detect a thunderstorm from 280km away, and will head towards it, looking for water. In 2004, elephants appeared to head for higher ground before the Asian tsunami struck.

How much methane does an elephant produce?

Elephants produce a lot of methane gas as a by-product of digestion. Scientists estimate that the amount of methane they emit in one day would be enough to power a car for 32km.
Main image: © iStock

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephant guide: species facts and best places to see in the wild

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Elephants are the biggest land animals on Earth and eat an incredible 50 tonnes of food a year. Here is our expert guide to the world's largest land mammals, including key facts about the two species and their natural habitat.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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.

(AD)

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!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephant facts | Animals | National Geographic Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover awesome elephant facts with Nat Geo Kids. You'll discover different elephant species, learn where they live and more...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Elephants: Learn about the biggest land animal.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Why do Elephants have big ears, trunks, tusks? Learn about elephants, the endangered giants of India and Africa

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Elephant

There are two primary species of elephant:

Asian Elephant

African Elephant

There are numerous subspecies of the Asian elephant, these are the Indian Elephant, Sri Lankan Elephant, Sumatran, Borneo Elephant.
African elephants are larger than Asian elephants and have two subspecies which are the African Bush Elephant and African Forest Elephant.

The elephant is the only known mammal that, despite having knee joints, cannot jump! This is thought to be primarily due to the elephant's sheer size but also because of the way that the elephant's legs are built, they are short and stocky to support the elephant's phenomenal weight.

Elephants are herbivores that spend around 22 hours eating! The elephant searches for green leaves in the tree tops but it is not uncommon for the elephant to tear down the tree to get the leaves.

One old elephant related myth is that elephants are afraid of mice. There are a number of theories from where this arose such as the size difference (elephants are one of the biggest land animals, mice are one of the smallest), the fear from the elephant that a mouse could crawl into the elephants trunk and nest, and the fact that mice have been known to crawl over elephants while they are sleeping so they can get to any left over food, are also viable possibilities. Whether or not elephants are actually scared of mice is unknown, however tests show that elephants are definitely not as comfortable with mice around as you might expect.
Elephant Foot Facts

The foot of an elephant has five toes that are buried in the flesh of their feet, with not all the toes of an elephant having toenails.

The foot of an elephant is formed in such a way that when elephants walk, they are effectively walking on tip toe.

The underneath of elephants feet is made up of tough and fatty tissue that acts a shock absorber so that elephants can walk more quietly.

The elephant uses its enormous feet in which to collect small amounts of water and to dig up roots out of the tough ground.

The foot of an elephant is about half the width of its shoulder, so scientists are able to tell the size of the elephant by looking at the footprint.

Elephant Teeth Facts

Elephants have 26 teeth in total which includes 24 molars in the mouth of the elephant and the elephant's tusks which are actually two incisors.

The molars in the mouth of the elephant replace themselves six times during their lives with the new molars being larger than the old ones.

The replacing molars in the mouth of the elephant push the old molars forward to let the new molars grow at the back of the elephant's mouth.

The elephant uses its tusks for digging, ripping bark from trees and foraging, as their tusks are essentially no different from normal teeth.

The teeth of the elephant are made from ivory, a strong compound that humans seem to have a lust for, but it has meant that countless elephants have been killed for their teeth alone.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The foot of an elephant has five toes that are buried in the flesh of their feet, with not all the toes of an elephant having toenails.The foot of an elephant is formed in such a way that when elephants walk, they are effectively walking on tip toe.The underneath...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are 17 species of penguin, each slightly different. Some of the species have nicknames which can cause people to think there are more than 17 species (for example the Little penguin is also known as the Blue penguin).

All of the species live in the Southern hemisphere. Many live at the South Pole on Antarctica. But some don't live in such cold places. They are found on the coasts of South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Galapagos Islands.

The Emperor penguin is the only species that breeds and nests in Antarctica through the frigid winter.

List of Penguin Species:

1. Adelie Penguin

2. African Penguin

3. Chinstrap Penguin

4. Emperor Penguin

5. Erect-Crested Penguin

6. Fiordland Penguin

7. Galapagos Penguin

8. Gentoo Penguin

9. Humboldt Penguin

10. King Penguin

11. Little (or Blue) Penguin

12. Macaroni Penguin

13. Magellanic Penguin

14. Rockhopper Penguin

15. Royal Penguin

16. Snares Penguin

17. Yellow-eyed Penguin

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are 17 species of penguin, each slightly different. Some of the species have nicknames which can cause people to think there are more than 17 species (for example the Little penguin is also known as the Blue penguin). All of the species live in the Southern hemisphere.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids

Enjoy our range of fun polar bears facts for kids. Learn what they eat, how much they weigh, where they live, how fast they can run and lots more interesting information. Read on and check out our cool trivia about polar bears.

Polar bears live in the Arctic.

Polar bears have black skin and although their fur appears white, it is actually transparent.

It is the largest carnivore (meat eater) that lives on land.

Polar bears use sea ice as a platform to hunt seals.

Seals make up most of a polar bears diet.

Male polar bears can weigh up to 680 kg (1500 lb).

Female polar bears usually only weigh about half as much as males.

Polar bears spend most of their time at sea.

Scientists estimate that there are around 20000 polar bears.

Polar bears have 42 teeth.

The scientific name for the polar bear is 'ursus maritimus'.

Polar bears keep warm thanks to nearly 10 cm of blubber under the skin.

Polar bears have an excellent sense of smell, with the ability to detect seals nearly a mile away (1.6 km).

Polar bears can reach speeds up to 40 kph (25 mph) on land and 10 kph (6 mph) in water.

The polar bear was the mascot for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Canada.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Polar Bears

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids Enjoy our range of fun polar bears facts for kids. Learn what they eat, how much they weigh, where they live, how fast they can run and lots more interesting information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Ready for an icy adventure, gang? Here at National Geographic Kids we're heading north - far north! - to meet one of nature's toughest animals in our 10 facts about polar bears...
Ten polar bear facts

1) Polar bears are found in the frozen wilds of the Arctic, in Canada, Alaska (US), Greenland, Russia and Norway.

2) These are seriously big bears, gang. Adult polar bears can measure over 2.5m long and weigh around 680kg. Their huge size and weight make them the largest living carnivores (meat eaters) on Earth!

(AD)

3) Polar bears are well adapted to survive in one of the harshest environments on our planet. As well as their thick fur, they have a layer of fat, called blubber, that insulates (protects) their bodies from the frosty air and near-freezing water. Polar bears also have black skin under their glistening coat, which helps them soak up the Sun's rays and keep warm.

4) These magnificent mammals have an incredible sense of smell which they use to track their favourite grub, seals*. In fact, their sense of smell is so good, they can sniff out prey from up to 16km away!

5) Despite their size and bulk, polar bears are excellent swimmers, and have been spotted in waters over 100km offshore. They can comfortably swim at around 10km/h using their slightly webbed, 30cm wide paws like paddles in the water.

6) Although good swimmers, polar bears aren't quick enough to reliably catch seals in open water. Instead, they depend on the ice as a hunting platform. They wait near seal breathing holes or at the ice's edge for a seal to surface. They then snatch it from the sea and...gulp!

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable polar bear primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

7) Did you know that a polar bear's fur isn't white? It's actually transparent with a hollow core that reflects light. This helps the bears blend in with their surroundings - a useful trick, especially when hunting wary seals!

8) Female polar bears give birth to their cubs in snow dens (in November or December), where the family is protected from the harsh Arctic environment. At birth, the cubs are only around 30cm long and weigh around half a kilogram - that's about the same as a guinea pig!

9) The polar family emerge from the den four to five months later. The cubs will stay with their mother for about two years, during which time they learn the skills needed to survive in the Arctic.

10) Sadly, these incredible creatures are classified as " vulnerable". The biggest threat to polar bears is climate change. Rising global temperatures means that sea ice is melting earlier and forming later each year, leaving polar bears less time to hunt for food. But the good news is you can help these amazing animals! Check out NG Kids' Five Top Conservation Tips for some environment-saving ideas.

*Polar bears occasionally feed on other arctic marine mammals, too, including whales, walruses and narwhals.

Did you enjoy our 10 facts about polar bears? Let us know by leaving a comment, below!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 facts about polar bears! | National Geographic Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Join us here at Nat Geo Kids to discover our top facts about polar bears! Where they live, what they eat, and how they survive the in freezing temperatures!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Approximate worldwide winter
distribution of polar bears (light gray).
Polar bears are distributed throughout most
ice-covered seas of the Northern Hemisphere.

Source: http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/
Ursus maritimus
The polar bear or the sea/ice bear are the world's largest land predators. They can be found in the Artic, the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Russia, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway. Each of these countries either banned hunting or established rules for how many polar bears could be hunted within its own boundaries. These rules help keep polar bear populations stable. Today, 25,000 to 40,000 polar bears roam the Arctic.

Please note: The photos on this page have come from clipart CD's which allow use on educational internet sites and in school projects or they have been contributed by viewers.

You are free to use all of it in book reports or for your personal website.

See KidZone Bibliography for more information.

Around the age of four or five the female polar bear can start having babies. They usually only have two cubs and they have these babies in a cave they've dug in a large snow drift. They stay there over winter and come out in spring with the babies.

The babies are much smaller than human babies when they're born. They are the size of a rat and weigh little more than a pound. They can grow to full man size in a year if they have lots of food.

Pair of polar bear cubs.
photo by: US Fish and Wildlife

Male polar bears may grow 10 feet tall and weigh over 1400 pounds. Females reach seven feet and weigh 650 pounds. In the wild polar bears live up to age 25.

Despite what we think, a polar bear's fur is not white. Each hair is a clear hollow tube. Polar bears look white because each hollow hair reflects the light. On sunny days, it traps the sun's infrared heat and keeps the bear warm at 98 degrees F (when they're resting).

Polar bear fur is oily and water repellent. The hairs don't mat when wet, allowing the polar bears to easily shake free of water and any ice that may form after swimming.

Underneath the fur, a polar bear's skin is actually black -- the black skin soaks up the sun's heat and helps them stay warm.

Polar bears also have a 4 inch layer of fat underneath their skin. This prevents them from losing any of their heat. In fact, if you look at a polar bear with an infared camera, they are pretty close to invisible (in other words, they don't give off any heat!)

The smallest foot pad is the front track
and the larger is the hind track.

Polar bears have wide front paws with slightly webbed toes that help them swim. They paddle with their front feet and steer with their hind feet. Paw pads with rough surfaces help prevent polar bears from slipping up on the ice.

Polar bears have been known to swim 100 miles (161 kilometers) at a stretch.

Polar bears primarily eat seals. They often rest silently at a seal's breathing hole in the ice, waiting for a seal in the water to surface. Once the seal comes up, the bear will spring and sink its jagged teeth into the seal's head.

They have a special liver that allows them to process all of the seal fat they eat - seals store a lot of vitamin A in their blubber which allows them to survive and grow quickly. A polar bear's liver contains 10 times more vitamin A than any other animal on earth - their liver has evolved to allow them to process and eat all of the seal blubber they need to stay alive.

Sometimes the polar bear stalks its prey. It may see a seal lying near its breathing hole and slowly move toward it, then charge it, biting its head or grabbing it with its massive claws. A polar bear may also hunt by swimming beneath the ice.

Humans are the polar bears only predator. Baby polar bears often starve. In fact, 70 percent do not live to their third birthday. Sometimes seals are hard to find, especially in the summer when the ice has melted. All across the Arctic, man is moving in to mine oil and coal and there is less space for the polar bear to live. Oil spills can be very dangerous. A bear with oil on its coat cannot regulate its body temperature properly. If the bear eats the oil while grooming it could die.

Man made pollution is also a cause of death. At each stage of the food chain, pollutants get more concentrated. By the end when the polar bear eats the seal and it could be lethal.

Polar Bears are considered marine mammals -- just like seals, whales and dolphins. Although polar bears are related to the brown bear, they have evolved over time to live in cold northern arctic climates. Their population is on the decline and they are considered a "vulnerable" species.

photo by: US Fish and Wildlife

Protecting polar bears isn't just a matter of being nice. Their body is very different than most mammals -- they are able to process large amounts of fat (seal blubber) and are able to lose and gain large amounts of weight through the year without causing stress health problems. Scientists are studying them to see if they can provide a key to human diseases like diabetes and heart disease!

Scientific genus and species: Ursus maritimus

Class: Mammalia (mammals)

Order: Carnivora (carnivores)

Family: Ursidae (bear family)

Genus: Ursus

Species: maritimus (meaning "sea bear")

Polar Bear On-Line Jigsaw Puzzles:

(Puzzle 2: Polar Bear with cub)

< Giant Panda

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Approximate worldwide winter distribution of polar bears (light gray). Polar bears are distributed throughout most ice-covered seas of the Northern Hemisphere. Source: http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/ Ursus maritimus The polar bear or the sea/ice bear are the world's largest land predators. They can be found in the Artic, the U.S.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
For such a big animal, polar bears sure start out small! A cub is about the size of a stick of butter when it is born. It is born hairless, with its eyes closed. Milk from polar bear mothers is 35 percent fat; this helps the cubs grow quickly.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Polar Bears: Learn about these giant white animals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn about polar bears, the largest carnivore on land. They like to swim and enjoy the cold.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Polar bears, also known as Ursus maritimus by their scientific name, are the largest carnivore living on land in the Arctic.

Even though we might think so, they don't live with the super cool penguins, who actually live in Antarctica.

Let's explore some polar bear facts!

Where are Polar Bears found?

There are five countries that are lucky to have polar bears and they are the United States, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway.

Funky names

They've got some pretty cool names that people refer to them by including (obviously) "Polar Bears". But other name are Sea Bears, White Bears or Beliy Medved in Russia, Isbjorn in Denmark, Lord of the Arctic, Ice Bear or Nanuk to the Inuits, which means an animal worthy of great respect.

Which name will you call the Polar Bear? Sadly they are on the vulnerable list of endangered species.

How do they hunt for food?

They are very big and powerful white bears. Some scientists think that they started to evolve about five million years ago from brown bear ancestors.

That is a seriously long time ago! They are brilliantly adapted for survival in their icy homes and they hunt seals in openings on the ice - called leads - or at breathing holes.

They wait silently for hours or days for seals to come to the surface.

If one bear ' owns' a large carcass, it might share it if the guests approach low-to-the-ground, circle the carcass slowly and touch the nose of the bear in charge.

How interesting is that...they need to do a dance for some food! A polar bear can also hunt by swimming beneath the ice.

They mostly eat seal blubber because of its high fat content but sometimes eat walruses and beached whales. If stranded on land, they will eat vegetation, geese, bird eggs and occasionally caribou.

They can survive for seven to ten days without food.

How large are polar bears?

An adult male normally weighs between 775-1,200 pounds (351-546 kilograms).

The largest polar bear ever recorded weighed 2,209 pounds (over 1,000 kilograms), which is about the same as an average car. That's unbelievable!

Adult females weigh about 330-650 pounds (150-295 kilograms).

More cool facts about Polar Bears

42 razor sharp teeth

Paws measuring up to 12 inches (about 30 centimeters) across. These paws distribute their weight when they're treading on thin ice. They also act as paddles and rudders when swimming.

An excellent sense of smell. They can sniff out their seal meal on the ice 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, or at a breathing hole more than half a mile away under water (which is just under one kilometer)

Excellent sight and hearing.

Polar bears are also very intelligent!

Polar Bear Cubs

Females usually have two cubs that stay with their mother for about two and a half years, learning to hunt and survive.

Polar Bears don't hibernate, but mother bears live in dens to raise their cubs, where they don't eat or drink during that time.

How do Polar Bears Communicate?

Polar Bears use body language and vocal sounds to have a chat to each other.

They sway their heads from side-to-side when they want to play; make chuffing sounds when stressed; loud roars, hisses or growls when they're angry and deep growls when they're defending food.

They also attack with lowered heads and ears laid back and move downwind to show submission.

Are Polar Bears Actually White?

Although Polar Bears appear white, their fur is actually transparent, and has a hollow core. It looks white because it reflects visible light. Under their fur, polar bear skin is actually black with a layer of fat about 4.5 inches (11.5 centimeters) thick.

This layer helps keep them warm under water.

Mother bears are reluctant to swim with young cubs during cold spring temperatures as the cubs don't have enough fat to keep warm; it's their dry fur that keeps them warm.

Polar bears look whitest when they are clean and in sunlight. Before molting, oils from the seals they eat can make them look yellow. In San Diego Zoo in 1979 polar bears turned green because of algae growing in their hollow hair shafts.

Luckily, they turned white again with the zoo fixing and algae.

Biologists gather information about Polar Bears by fitting them with plastic belting tracking collars. They stay flexible in cold temperatures.

Nowadays, GPS is used to track them and is accurate within 30 feet (10 meters).

Most collars are fitted with an automatic release mechanism and a clock set to drop off on a specific date.

Collars don't interfere with the bear's natural activities. Bears can be followed for a long time to learn about their movements, hunting patterns, distances covered, time spent on land and in the water, their use of habitat and the rate of survival of cubs.

Now aren't these just the coolest animals around? We hope you've learnt some cool stuff about Polar Bears!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Polar Bear Facts For Kids Polar bears, also known as Ursus maritimus by their scientific name, are the largest carnivore living on land in the Arctic. Even though we might think so, they don't live with the super cool penguins, who actually live in Antarctica. Let's explore some polar bear facts!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
WWF's work

WWF is working with researchers to track polar bears in the Arctic to understand the impact that climate change and other threats are having on them as well as helping to monitor their health.

We're also advocating for governments to recognise and mitigate the effects of a changing Arctic on these bears.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover fascinating facts about polar bears and find out about our work with tracking polar bears in the Arctic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Polar bears in the wild can live as long as twenty-five years.

Females being to have babies at the age of four or five years.

The female will dig a hole in a large snowdrift or find a cave to deliver her two 'cubs'.

The color of a polar bear's fur is deceiving

We see it as white because of the reflection of the light.

The fur of the polar bear is actually water repellent with natural oil.

When the fur is wet it doesn't 'mat' and this allows the polar bear to shake excess water off easily.

When they are born, a Polar Bear cub can weigh between 450 to 650g. The male cub is usually heavier than the female.

Like lots of other small animals, they are born with their eyes closed and fairly helpless.

Their fur is very fine and almost makes him look as if they don't have any. They stay in the den to keep warm.

Usually, they are born between November and December.

The mother usually looks after the cub and the father plays no role in raising them whatsoever.

While in the den, they will drink the mothers' milk and as they get older and leave the den, they will learn to eat and hunt for seals.

Depending on their exact location, they will stay in the den until March, April or May.

In the beginning, the cub will not help with hunting but learn to stay quiet while the mother hunts for seals.

The cub will stay with the mother for roughly 2 ½ years and during this time, they will learn how to hunt and survive in the Arctic.

For several reasons, the polar bear is classed as a vulnerable species.

This is because of habitat loss due to climate change, and for many decades large-scale hunting had also contributed to this.

The population has rebounded because of international concern and the controls put in place to help.

The polar bear is an important part of the cultural life of the local people.

It is also known as the "White Bear" and sometimes referred to as "Nanook."

Because they spend many months at sea, they are classed as a Marine mammal.

They are the only Marine mammal with large feet and powerful limbs, which allows them to run on land covering a lot of distance.

They love being on this sea ice and the areas that have sea ice and water; this allows them to hunt for food (seals) easily.

They are normally found on the perimeter of the polar ice pack because they have more chances of finding food in this area of the Arctic

As the ice packs melt during the summer months, this forces the bears to be on land and wait until everything freezes again.

Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids

You will find polar bears in the Arctic.

A group of polar bears is called a pack of Sleuth.

They don't hibernate.

They like to hunt and eat seals

They have a very strong sense of smell and can sniff out a sealed then from 20 miles away.

In 2008 they were listed as an endangered species by the US.

Their paws are covered with fur which prevents them from slipping on the snow and ice.

Their sharp claws also help them grip the ice.

Polar bears are big. The male can be ten feet tall and weigh in at over 1,400 lbs. and females can be seven feet tall and weigh in at 650 lbs.

The biggest or largest polar bear on record was discovered in 1960 in Alaska weighing in at 1002 kg.

They have 42 teeth which help them when catching food.

The maximum speed a polar bear can run at his 40 km an hour.

A thick layer of blubber keeps them warm when they go for a swim.

They can swim at 6.2 miles per hour.

It is reported that they regularly swim over 30 miles.

Polar bears are found in several different countries around the Arctic Circle Canada, United States, Norway, Russia, and Greenland.

Polar bears are known for their beautiful pure white fur and are also known by the names sea bear or ice bear.

Polar bears are the largest predator on land and they live in a variety of areas: Alaska (in the U.S.), the Arctic, Russia, Canada, Denmark (Greenland), and Norway. Due to overhunting, all of these countries have either banned hunting altogether or established preset laws as to the number of polar bears that can be hunted and the land boundaries.

It is believed that there are between 25,000-40,000 polar bears in the Arctic.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Polar Bear Facts for Kids (All You Need to Know!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Polar bears in the wild can live as long as twenty-five years. Females being to have babies at the age of four or five years. The female will dig a hole in a large snowdrift or find a cave to deliver her two 'cubs'. We see it as white because of the reflection of the light.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Interesting Facts about Polar Bears – Educational Video for School Learning

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Scientific Name:

Ursus maritimus

Average Life Span In The Wild:

25 to 30 years

Size:

Head and body: 7.25 to 8 feet; tail: 3 to 5 inches

Weight:

900 to 1,600 pounds

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

Polar bears roam the Arctic ice sheets and swim in that region's coastal waters. They are very strong swimmers, and their large front paws, which they use to paddle, are slightly webbed. Some polar bears have been seen swimming hundreds of miles from land-though they probably cover most of that distance by floating on sheets of ice.

Arctic Adaptations

Polar bears live in one of the planet's coldest environments and depend on a thick coat of insulated fur, which covers a warming layer of fat. Fur even grows on the bottom of their paws, which protects against cold surfaces and provides a good grip on ice. The bear's stark white coat provides camouflage in surrounding snow and ice. But under their fur, polar bears have black skin-the better to soak in the sun's warming rays.

Hunting

These powerful predators typically prey on seals. In search of this quarry they frequent areas of shifting, cracking ice where seals may surface to breathe air. They also stalk ice edges and breathing holes. If the opportunity presents itself, polar bears will also consume carcasses, such as those of dead whales. These Arctic giants are the masters of their environment and have no natural enemies.

Breeding and Behavior

Females den by digging into deep snow drifts, which provide protection and insulation from the Arctic elements. They give birth in winter, usually to twins. Young cubs live with their mothers for some 28 months to learn the survival skills of the far north. Females aggressively protect their young, but receive no help from their solitary male mates. In fact, male polar bears may even kill young of their species.

Polar bears are attractive and appealing, but they are powerful predators that do not typically fear humans, which can make them dangerous. Near human settlements, they often acquire a taste for garbage, bringing bears and humans into perilous proximity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientific Name: Ursus maritimus Average Life Span In The Wild: 25 to 30 years Size: Head and body: 7.25 to 8 feet; tail: 3 to 5 inches Weight: 900 to 1,600 pounds Size relative to a 6-ft man: Polar bears roam the Arctic ice sheets and swim in that region's coastal waters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All About Polar Bears for Kids: Polar Bears for Children - FreeSchool

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Polar Bears for Kids | Wild Animals | Arctic Animals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids

Check out these fun dolphin facts for kids. Learn about different types of dolphins, how they communicate with each other and much more.

Read on and enjoy these interesting facts about dolphins.

Compared to other animals, dolphins are believed to be very intelligent.

Dolphins are carnivores (meat eaters).

The Killer Whale (also known as Orca) is actually a type of dolphin.

Bottlenose dolphins are the most common and well known type of dolphin.

Female dolphins are called cows, males are called bulls and young dolphins are called calves.

Dolphins live in schools or pods of up to 12 individuals.

Dolphins often display a playful attitude which makes them popular in human culture. They can be seen jumping out of the water, riding waves, play fighting and occasionally interacting with humans swimming in the water.

Dolphins use a blowhole on top of their heads to breathe.

Dolphins have excellent eyesight and hearing as well as the ability to use echolocation for finding the exact location of objects.

Dolphins communicate with each other by clicking, whistling and other sounds.

Some dolphin species face the threat of extinction, often directly as a result of human behavior. The Yangtze River Dolphin is an example of a dolphin species which may have recently become extinct.

Some fishing methods, such as the use of nets, kill a large number of dolphins every year.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Dolphins

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Explore our wide variety of animal facts and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids Check out these fun dolphin facts for kids. Learn about different types of dolphins, how they communicate with each other and much more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Our Mission - Through education, research and rescue, Dolphin Research Center promotes peaceful coexistence, cooperation and communication between marine mammals, humans and the environment we share with the well being of DRC's animals taking precedence.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kids Dolphin Facts - Dolphin Research Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kids can learn about dolphins, sea lions, and marine mammals. Dolphin camp, riddles, puzzles and dolphin facts.

# 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
Bottlenose dolphins squeak, squawk and use body language-leaping as high as 20 feet in the air, snapping their jaws, slapping their tails on the surface of the water, blowing bubbles and even butting heads. Each dolphin has a special whistle that it creates soon after it is born. This whistle is used for identification, just like a human's name. Dolphins also produce high frequency clicks, which act as a sonar system called echolocation (ek-oh-low-KAY-shun). When the clicking sounds hit an object in the water, like a fish or rock, they bounce off and come back to the dolphin as echoes. Echolocation tells the dolphins the shape, size, speed, distance, and location of the object.

Bottlenose dolphins have a sharp sense of hearing. Scientists believe that the sounds travel through the dolphin's lower jaw to its inner ear and then are transmitted to the brain for analysis.

Dolphins grow to be anywhere from 6 to 12 feet long. They shed their outermost layer of skin every two hours.

Very social and playful mammals, bottlenose dolphins form friendships that last decades hunting, mating and protecting each other. They like to surf in the waves and wakes of boats and swim through self-made bubble rings. They can swim up to 22 miles an hour.

These sea mammals feed on fish, squid, and shrimp. A group of dolphins will cooperate to make a mud ring to trap fish. Then, some of the dolphins in the group will wait outside the ring for the fish that try to escape, gulping them up as a snack.

Bottlenose dolphins are found in warm water all over the world. They live both in shallow water close to shore and far out in deep dark water. Dolphins face a lot of problems with getting trapped in the garbage humans leave on the beach.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thought to be some of the smartest animals on Earth, bottlenose dolphins send messages to one another in many different ways. They squeak, squawk and use body language-leaping as high as 20 feet in the air, snapping their jaws, slapping their tails on the surface of the water, blowing bubbles and even butting heads.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Everybody loves dolphins. What's not to love? Dolphins are playful and cute, but also very intelligent! Read on for our amazing dolphin facts. Bet you don't know all of these!

We know plenty about dolphins today, but we still don't know all that much about their past.

There are lots of ideas about how dolphins have evolved and some fossil remains have been found, but nothing has really given us a whole picture of their past.

Cool Dolphin Facts Infographic

check out our dolphins infographic! We call it "Dolphins Illustrated".

The one thing that the crazy scientists think is that dolphins were much smaller hundreds of years ago.

Also, dolphins use something called 'echolocation', a complex way of communicating and finding prey through sound waves, and it is thought that dolphins have developed this skill to protect themselves.

Pretty neat huh?

But there are also other theories! You'll be surprised by this. Some people believe that they evolved from land animals. What? Their land 'ancestor' lived about 50 million years ago and looked like a wolf.

Sounds rather strange, but apparently they hunted in shallow waters and then adapted to life in the water.

We know this as a dolphins forelegs became flippers, their hind legs disappeared completely, and the fluke (the name for the tail) arrived.

Also, their fur disappeared and their nostrils moved to the top of their head.

Who knows whether this is true or not.

In Ancient Greece it was not at all cool to kill a dolphin. Good for them. If people did, they could be punished by death. They called dolphin's 'hieros ichthys' which means 'sacred fish'.

The sun god, Apollo, took the form of a dolphin when he found his oracle at Delphi at Mount Parnassus. Interesting.

Protecting Dolphins and Extinction

As with a lot of animals, they are becoming endangered, and the dolphin is no exception.

Some dolphin species face the threat of distinction. How sad. And their greatest enemy is none other than us humans.

They get caught in nets when boats are out fishing, or they hit boats, and this kills loads of dolphins every year.

The Yangtze River Dolphin is a species which may be extinct as none have been seen for a very long time.

Dolphin Quick Fire Facts

Dolphins are meant to be very intelligent animals.

Female dolphins are called cows, males are bulls and young dolphins are called calves. Just like cows themselves.

Dolphins stick together and have some awesome friends. They hand out in schools, or pods of up to 12 of them.

The dolphin is the only mammal that gives birth with the tail first instead of the head, and this is to make sure their baby doesn't drown. Animals are amazing.

Dolphins stay with their moms for about 2 to 3 years. Can you imagine going out into the world by yourself at 3...wow that would be a challenge.

They are very playful animals, which is probably why humans love them so much and are so fascinated by them.

You could see them jumping out the water, riding waves, play-fighting, and sometimes they'll even come and give you a quick nudge to say hi if you're in the water with them!

They also like to tease a bit. Amazingly they also play with seaweed. All the toys we've got and dolphins play with seaweed...awesome. Perhaps you should try it one day.

Dolphins can't actually breathe out of their mouths. So how do they breathe? Well they use the blowhole at the top of their heads, which is like a big nostril.

You must have heard dolphins making clicking and whistling sounds...well this is how they chat to each other. Wouldn't it be great to learn their language and talk to them too?

Wow, there are a lot of different types of dolphins. There are 36 different species of ocean dolphins and 5 species of river dolphins. Most live in saltwater but some of them live in freshwater, mostly the Amazon River.

Dolphins live for about 17 years in the wild, but there have been some that have lived up to the age of 50. In dolphin years that's a lot.

They are carnivores, which mean they eat meat including fish and squid. Yum.

Dolphins have about 100 teeth, but some dolphins have 8 teeth and there are others with 250. Bottlenose dolphins have 72-104 teeth.

They only get one set of teeth for life. They don't actually use them to eat amazingly. Try and eat something without your teeth; it could be rather difficult.

What they do is they catch their prey with their teeth and then swallow them whole. They don't have any jaw muscles so that's why they can't chew. Surprising they don't get tummy aches.

They eat about 30 pounds (about 14 kilograms) of fish each day.

We know they're clever, but the way they catch their prey is brilliant. The whole pod works as a team and they get a school of fish surrounded and balled up, so that they're much easier to eat.

They then each take a turn and go right through the middle of the school of fish and munch away. Clever indeed.

They use all sorts of ways to make sure they get their dinner; they might jump or do zig-zag patters, circles or a combination of all to make sure they catch their fish.

Dolphins have a cool time under the water, playing and swimming, but they can't actually breathe underwater.

So how do they get air? Well they come up for air all the time, which is why you'll see the above the water.

They can stay underwater for between 20 seconds and 30 minutes. Do you think you could hold your breath for 30 minutes? Don't think so.

More Cool Facts About Dolphins

Unbelievably the Killer Whale (also called an Orca) is one massive dolphin. It is the largest dolphin around.

This is amazing. How did the Killer Whale get its name? This is because it separates baby whales from their pods and eats them! No way. They also eat other dolphins. That's not cool to eat part of your family.

Who would have thought that dolphins can actually swim up to 850 feet (260 meters) below the ocean? Well it's true. This is cool. The deepest a dolphin has ever dived was 1,000 feet (300 meters).

The dolphin was a US Navy trained dolphin and her name was Tuffy.

How awesome. But most dolphins spend most of their time in less than 2 meters (about 7 feet) of water. Well done Tuffy!

Dolphins have often been seen helping humans. How kind. They sometimes help with fishing and have even helped with rescues. That's awesome.

Dolphins vary in size from super small to super large, depending on what type of dolphin it is.

The large ones can weigh up to 11 tons (nearly 10,000 kilograms), which is about the same as four cars, and they can be about 30 feet (9 meters) long.

Then the smaller ones will weigh about 90 pounds (40 kilograms) and be 4 feet (about 1 meter) long. What a big difference.

A dolphin's body is made to help them move through the water quickly and without using too much energy.

They rely on their pectoral fins and the fluke (tail) to help them navigate their way through the water.

Dolphins certainly don't need glasses; they have excellent eyesight both in the water and out. So you can't hide anything from them, that's for sure.

They can even hear really well, about 10 times better than humans. Be careful what you say around dolphins as you don't want to hurt their feelings!

But they can't actually smell very well, so you might be able to hide your lunch from them.

Amazingly dolphins have two stomachs, just like cows. The first one stores all their food and the second one does all the hard work of digesting the food.

Just like our finger prints, the dorsal fin on every dolphin is completely unique; there are no two the same.

Dolphins can swim up to a speed of 25 miles (40 kilometers) per hour for long periods of time. That is seriously fast. But they normally travel at speeds of about 5 miles (about 8 kilometers) per hour.

This is because their motion is most efficient at these speeds.

When they swim faster, this is when you'll see them jump clear out of the water. This helps them save up some energy as the air provides a lot less resistance than the water.

Dolphins love their pod family; they've often been seen caring for the sick and the elderly as well as injured dolphins. What kind animals.

So dolphins are really cute and sweet, but did you know they can actually be quite aggressive if pushed too far. Make sure you're super friendly.

A dolphin's brain comes in second for size when compared to its body size. Number one is the human brain!

A dolphin's skin is very sensitive and delicate and can be easily damaged. Make sure you touch them gently if you ever get the chance.

Now this is an amazing fact. Only one side of a dolphin's brain sleeps at a time. Weird right? This allows them to be able to breathe and to watch for threats even while they are resting.

Marine dolphins sleep with one eye open and the other eye closed. Dolphins have to be conscious to breathe and each part of their brain takes a turn to get some much needed shut eye.

When the left side of the brain rests, the right eye of the dolphin is closed and when the right side of the brain rests the left eye is closed.

Do dolphins have hair? Most of them don't except for a few hairs they're born with. But there is one dolphin that has a small amount of hair, the Boto River Dolphin who keeps the hair until they're an adult.

Dolphins have the most amazing healing process and no one understands why. Even if they've got a big shark bite, they heal quickly whereas other animals would lose too much blood.

How they do that, nobody knows.

Do dolphins drink water? Well surprisingly not as it's very salty; hardly surprising, salt water doesn't taste all that good.

They get all the water they need from their food and if they do need water they can burn their fat. Wow.

Some dolphins can see colors and others can't; some only see in shades of grey, while others see blue-green colors.

Fish normally swim with their tails moving from side to side, but dolphins swim by moving their tails up and down. They really are a unique animal.

Dolphins are better swimmers than fish and this is because they carry loads more oxygen in their blood than fish, which helps them to swim longer than a fish.

Surprisingly dolphins actually shed their skins, just like a snake. Wow. But it also helps to get rid of algae and bacteria that can cling to their skins.

Wow, this is cool. A dolphin can whistle to communicate and click for sonar waves both at the same time.

That would be like a human speaking in two different voices, with two different pitches and having two different conversations.

Give it a try, go on!

Dolphins eyes produce tears, but they're not sad don't worry. It actually protects their eyes from foreign objects and infection as well as reducing the friction between their eyes and the sea water.

What exactly is a blowhole? Well it's a nose really that sits on top of the dolphin's head. Can you imagine your nose on the top of your head? It would be really weird.

This 'nose' evolved for the echolocation system they use to communicate. Most whales actually have two blowholes, and the dolphin just has the one.

Most mammals' brains have a very smooth surface except for our brains, which have lots of folds in it. A dolphin's brain has even more folds than ours and they were like this millions of years before we appeared on the scene.

Did you know that there is a dolphin that looks like a unicorn? Well it's called the Narwhal Dolphin and it has a large ivory tusk.

Pink, blue or albino, the Amazon River Dolphin is the most recognizable river dolphin species. It has a ridge along its back rather than a dorsal fin and its fat, heavy body is very flexible.

They have paddle-like flippers which move them in a circular motion. This means they can move easily but are not necessarily fast. How cool.

Males can get as long as 8 feet (about 2.5 meters) which makes them the largest river dolphin. This is weird as in all the other river dolphins the females are larger. Interesting.

There is one species of dolphin that only sleeps for a few seconds at a time. Shame, it must be tired. This is because it has to dodge debris in the water where it lives.

We hope you enjoyed our dolphin facts! Are you ready to share your new knowledge with your friends and classmates?
Now, check out our cool dolphins infographic!
Kids Also Love Reading...

More Animals

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fun Dolphin Facts Everybody loves dolphins. What's not to love? Dolphins are playful and cute, but also very intelligent! Read on for our amazing dolphin facts. Bet you don't know all of these! We know plenty about dolphins today, but we still don't know all that much about their past.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
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.

------------

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.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids (All You Need to Know!)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Easy Science for Kids All About Dolphins - The Dogs of The Sea. Learn more about Dolphins with our interesting Kids Science Website on Dolphins!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Take a deep breath, gang, and join Nat Geo Kids as we learn ten fab facts about one seriously splash-tastic sea creature - in our bottlenose dolphin facts!
Facts about bottlenose dolphins

1) Bottlenose dolphins are marine mammals that live in tropical and temperate oceans (oceans with mild temperatures) around the world. This includes the waters off the UK and Ireland, where you can spot them swimming and playing in bays and river estuaries!

2) These beautiful creatures have a short thick beak (as their name suggests!) and a curved mouth, giving the appearance that they are always smiling. They are usually grey in colour, and measure around two to four metres in length.

(AD)

3) Social creatures, bottlenose dolphins travel in groups, called " pods ", of around 10-15. In these groups they play and hunt together, as well as cooperate to raise young dolphin calves and help each other.

4) Bottlenose dolphins are super swimmers, gliding through the water using their curved dorsal fin on their back, a powerful tail and pointed flippers. They can reach speeds over 30km an hour and dive as deep as 250m below the surface!

5) These cool creatures are awesome acrobats, too, and can be seen flipping (or " breaching ") out of the water. In fact, they can launch themselves up to five meters out of the water before crashing back down with a splash! There are different theories as to why they do this - it could be to get a better view of things in the distance, clean parasites off their bodies, communicate with other pods or just for good fun!

6) Although they live underwater, the bottlenose dolphin must come up to the surface to breath air. It breathes through what"s called a " blowhole ", a hole at the top of its head. These clever creatures can open this hole when inhaling and exhaling out of the water, and close it when below the ocean surface. They can hold their breath underwater for around seven minutes.

7) Bottlenose dolphins are kings of communication! They send each other messages in different ways - they squeak and whistle and also use body language, leaping out of the water, snapping their jaws and even butting heads!

8) These magnificent mammals also produce high-pitched clicks to help them navigate and find food - a process called " echolocation ". When the clicking sounds hit an object in the water - such as a rock or fish - they bounce back to the dolphin as echoes. From this, the super swimmers can work out the location, size and shape of the object. Cool, eh?

9) Carnivores, our finned friends eat mostly fish, but will also eat crustaceans such as shrimp and squid, too.

10) Thankfully, bottlenose dolphins are not classed as endangered. However, illegal hunting, fishing nets and pollution pose threats to these incredible creatures.

Love reading about sea life? Then be sure to check out our Humpback whale facts!

Image ⓒ Picture of dolphin stretched out above water: Photograph by Kjersti Joergensen, Dreamtime. Picture of a dolphin closeup in water: Photograph by Michael Price, Dreamtime. Picture of a dolphin jumping: Photograph by Avslt71, Dreamtime.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 facts about bottlenose dolphins - National Geographic Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Take a deep breath, gang, and join Nat Geo Kids as we learn ten fab facts about one seriously splash-tastic sea creature - in our bottlenose dolphin facts! 1) Bottlenose dolphins are marine mammals that live in tropical and temperate oceans (oceans with mild temperatures) around the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Dolphin | Educational Video for Kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All About Dolphins for Kids: Dolphins for Children - FreeSchool

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dolphin Facts for Kids | Classroom Edition Animal Learning Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Bottlenose Dolphin Facts for Kids | Dolphin Photos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
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!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
5 Facts About Dolphins - Dolphin Facts For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Among all the aquatic animals, Dolphin is well known for its intelligence and human-friendly behavior. Kids love dolphins and are very inquisitive about them. As dolphins are mammals and they live in water, kids confuse them with fish. We have gathered a complete collection of Dolphin Facts For Kids that will answer all the questions that arise in a kids' mind. On this page you are going to learn all about dolphins, what are they, how they look, their color, classification, species, weight, length, lifespan, special features, body parts, teeth, brain, intelligence, diet, habitat, prey, predator, adaptations, behavior, hunting techniques, echolocation, communication, lifecycle, baby dolphin and many other interesting facts about dolphins for kids along with pictures, slideshows, and videos.

1. What Is A Dolphin - Is A Dolphin A Fish

Dolphin is a common name of 40 extant (existing or living) species of aquatic mammals.

They are warm-blooded and highly intelligent.

Dolphins belong to the infraorder Cetacea.

It includes the families;

Delphinidae, which are known as the oceanic Dolphins

Pontoporiidae, the brackish dolphins

Platanistidae, dolphins of the Indian River

Iniidae, dolphins of the new world river

Lipotidae, the extinct dolphins of the Chinese River or baiji

2. What Do Dolphins Look Like - Dolphin Appearance - Dolphin Description

3. What Color Are Dolphins

Dolphins have commonly grey body colors with a whitish belly.

However, their body color ranges from grey-blue to brownish.

Some dolphin species also have stripes or spots on their body, such as killer whales and Atlantic spotted dolphins.

4. What Type Of Animal Is A Dolphin - What Kind Of Animal Is A Dolphin

5. What Makes A Dolphin A Mammal - Why Are Dolphins Mammals

Dolphins are warm-blooded aquatic mammals.

6. Is A Dolphin A Carnivore - Are Dolphins Carnivores

Dolphins are mammals because:

They breathe air and have lungs as their respiratory apparatus

They give birth to young ones rather than laying eggs like fish

The baby dolphins are nourished by mothers milk

Baby dolphins have hair in the form of whiskers (long projecting hair) on their upper jaw which falls out after birth.

7. Dolphin Classification

Yes, all the dolphin species are carnivores because they feed on the flesh or meat of other aquatic animals.

9. Kinds Of Dolphins - Dolphin Species - How Big Are Dolphins - Dolphin Size - How Long Do Dolphins Live - Dolphin Lifespan

The following is the scientific classification of dolphins:

10. Dolphin Features - Dolphin Characteristics

The following table shows all the 44 dolphin species along with their body size and lifespan:

11. How Much Does A Dolphin Weigh - Dolphin Weight

All dolphins have the following common characteristics:

Smooth and rubbery skin

Two fins on the sides and one fin on the back

Communication through several types of sounds

All dolphin species are extremely social and live in groups

Intelligence

12. How Long Is A Dolphin - Dolphin Length

While the Commerson's dolphin is probably the smallest dolphin species the adult individuals of which have a bodyweight of up to 23 kg (50 Ibs).

13. Dolphin Special Features

Dolphins have the following body parts that are generally common to all dolphin species:

Dolphins have two fins, one on each side, called the pectoral fins. They also have a dorsal fin of usually triangular shape on their back. Their tail also has two fins called flukes. Dolphins use their pectoral fins like steering, while their dorsal fin provides them stability and works like the keel on a boat. Dolphins' tail propels their body in water to move forward, upward, and downward within the water.

Some of the special features of dolphins include:

All dolphins have a round organ on their head known as "Melon", which they used for echolocation.

Most species have an elongated jaw structure that gives a beak-like appearance to their mouths.

Dolphins have an extremely complex and large brain and of a different structure from many of the land mammals' brains.

Like other mammals, dolphins are warm-blooded and have an internal body temperature of around 36 °C.

Dolphins have a blowhole, a respiratory organ through which they breathe.

They are extremely social and live in groups called "pods".

Dolphins are also very intelligent creatures and demonstrate complex play behavior, self-awareness, and cross-species cooperation.

It is the breathing organ of dolphins as they are mammals and have lungs as their respiratory system. The blowhole is situated at the top of their head. To breathe, dolphins come to the water's surface.

It is a fatty layer under the skin of dolphins. It works as an insulator and keeps their body temperature constant within cold and hot water.

It is a snout of dolphins. It contains teeth that they used for grabbing prey. Some dolphin species, like bottlenose dolphins, have a long rostrum which they also use for probing the ocean floor.

It is the large and fatty forehead of the dolphins. Dolphins use their melon to produce many kinds of noises for communication and echolocation within the water.

15. Do Dolphins Have Teeth - Dolphin Teeth Facts

How Many Teeth Do Dolphins Have

Dolphin Teeth Pictures

16. What Is The Nose Of A Dolphin Called

The average number of teeth in dolphin species is approximately from 80 to 100.

18. Dolphin Intelligence Facts - Interesting Facts About Dolphins Intelligence

19. Do Dolphins Have Hair

Generally, the rostrum is said as the dolphin's nose, however, their functional and real nose is the blowhole through which they inhale and exhale air.

The blowhole is located at the top of their heads and when open, the nasal septum (a cartilaginous partition that separates the right and left airways) became visible.

Among all animal species, dolphins have the second most complex and powerful brain (after the human brain).

The killer whale or orca has the largest brain in all cetaceans with 6,000 grams weight while the second-largest brain is of the bottlenose dolphin with up to 1,500 grams weight (humans have up to 1,200 grams weight of their brain).

The more complex and convoluted brain of dolphins as compared to any other animal species is associated with their intelligence.

The brain of dolphins has two hemispheres that are composed of four lobes (the human brain has three lobes).

Their all senses are situated at the fourth lobe (while that of humans are situated in all the three lobes).

Dolphins are quick learners and talented mimics and are known for demonstrating empathy, self-awareness, innovation, and problem-solving.

21. What Do Dolphins Eat - Dolphin Diet

22. What Are Dolphins Prey - Dolphin Prey

As dolphins are mammals, having body hair is the defining characteristic of mammals.

So dolphins should have hair on their bodies, which is not observed in their smooth and streamlined body.

When dolphins are born they have hair on the skin of their upper jaw.

But soon after birth, the hair falls out and only the hair follicles remain in the form of tiny pockmarks.

Dolphins do not need hair on the body to survive, as they have blubber (a thick fatty layer) just beneath their skin, which provides insulation in the cold and hot waters of the ocean.

How Do Dolphins Hunt - Dolphin Hunting Facts

Bottlenose Dolphin Food Chain

23. Where Do Dolphins Live - Dolphin Habitat

Dolphins living in the open waters mostly prey on fish and squids.

While dolphins living in the coastal regions prey on fish and bottom-dwelling creatures.

Their favorite prey is:

Among all dolphin species, the Orca or Killer Whale is an exceptional case, which hunts marine mammals and birds along with small-sized fishes.

The prey of Orca includes sea lions, dugongs, seals, walruses, juvenile as well as injured and old baleen whales, penguins, and other sea birds.

24. Dolphin Habitat Map - Map Of Where Dolphins Live

Dolphins use the following different hunting techniques to catch their prey:

Bait Ball: dolphin pods squeeze a herd of fish to a small volume, called a bait ball, and then turn and plow through it.

Mud circles: dolphins make mud circles in shallow waters through their tail. The mud circle acts as a mud net and squeezes a large amount of fish on which the dolphins finally feed.

To catch flying fish, dolphins follow their flying patterns just below the water surface. Whenever the fish plop back into the water, the dolphin is ready to capture it.

Dolphins often chase their hunt into beaches and mud banks through the creation of wave pressure, where they then hunt it easily.

Sometimes, dolphins hit the water surface through their tail fluke. It sent shock waves and the fish become stunned and confused, which then dolphin hunt very easily.

Dolphins also sometimes use their powerful sonars to find hidden fishes in the sand, which they then pull out and eat.

When a hunt is too big for a dolphin to eat, they break it into pieces by grabbing with their tail and slamming against the water surface.

25. Dolphin Environment - Dolphin Biome

The bottlenose dolphin is part of the oceanic food chain.

The following food chain shows the energy transfer between a bottlenose dolphin and specific plants and animals that depend on each other.

Zooplankton eats phytoplankton.

Krills eat zooplankton as their diet.

Squids then consume krills.

Large fish eat squids as well as krills.

Bottlenose dolphin consumes fish and squids.

Killer whales and sharks are the predators of the bottlenose dolphin.

Sharks and killer whales have no predators and their bodies decompose after their death, which is then used by phytoplankton.

26. What Oceans Do Dolphins Live In - Dolphin Range

Dolphins live in all the oceans of the world.

Some of the dolphin species also flourish in the fresh waters of rivers.

Out of 44 dolphin species, up to 38 inhabit the salty waters of the ocean while 6 species inhabit the rivers.

Dolphins prefer the temperate and tropical waters and concentrate from the equator to the subpolar regions.

The habitat of river dolphins include the Yangtze River, The South Asian rivers, and the Amazon river.

27. The Dolphin Life Cycle For Kids

Dolphin Life Cycle Diagram For Kids

28. How Many Babies Can A Dolphin Have

Most dolphin species prefer the tropical environment of the oceans.

However, some species live only in the environment for which they are physically adopted.

For example, common bottlenose dolphin, short-beaked common dolphin, and Risso's dolphin are cosmopolitan dolphin species and found worldwide.

While the biome of Burrunan dolphins is found only in Australia and the Hourglass dolphins inhabit the Antarctic and subantarctic waters.

The biome of some dolphin species only thrives in the freshwaters of the river like Baiji and Tucuxi, which are found only in the Yangtze River and the Tucuxi Rivers respectively.

29. How Are Dolphins Born - Dolphin Birth Facts

Dolphins are found worldwide in all the oceans and seas except the Caspian and Aral Seas.

However, not all species of dolphins are found in all oceans, especially in the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans.

All the dolphin species have a different habitat range, but all species usually avoid the extremely cold waters of the polar zones.

30. What Is A Baby Dolphin Called

How Long Does A Dolphin Stay With Its Mother

32. What Is A Female Dolphin Called

A dolphin usually has one baby at a time and very rarely has twins.

33. What Is A Male Dolphin Called

A baby dolphin, which is called a calf, has a light skin color than adult individuals.

Soon after birth, the mother or other pod member pushes the baby dolphin towards the water surface to take a breath.

After a few minutes of birth, a calf can swim and breathe and also closely follow its mother.

Baby dolphins feed on the mother milk from 1 and a half years to 2 years, the time which varies between species.

However, baby dolphins can start eating small fish and crustaceans at the age of 6 months.

The calves stay with their mothers for a time, which varies from 5 to 10 years among species, until they become adults.

36. Bottlenose Dolphin Facts For Kids

Bottlenose Dolphin Diet

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin

Members of the family Delphinidae are called Oceanic dolphins.

Oceanic dolphins are widely distributed all over the world's oceans.

The number of described species is 38.

Some species are big and have the common names of "whale" rather than "dolphin" like the pilot whale and killer whale.

Their size range from the 1.7-meter length and 50 kg weight (Maui's dolphin) to 9.4-meter length and up to 9,900 kg body weight (killer whale).

Some species also exhibit sexual dimorphism and males have larger body sizes than females.

River dolphins are the dolphin species that are exclusively found in freshwater or brackish water.

River dolphins belong to four extant families:

Platanistidae (the Indian dolphin)

Iniidae (the Amazonian dolphin)

Pontoporiidae (the brackish dolphin)

Lipotidae (the Chinese river dolphin)

There are six extant species of river dolphins, which are found in the South Asian rivers, Amazon river, and Chinese river.

They are adapted to survive in the shallow and warm waters and to tolerate the strong currents of the river.

River dolphins are of relatively smaller size as compared to Oceanic dolphins.

Their size ranges in length from 1.5 meters (South Asian river dolphin) to 2.4 meters (Amazonian river dolphin) and in weight up to 100 kg.

Unlike Oceanic dolphins, river dolphins have a very thin or no blubber.

As they inhabit the muddy water of the rivers, they do not rely on their sense of vision and have an extremely well-developed hearing system.

How High Can A Bottlenose Dolphin Jump

They are the most common individuals in this family.

They belong to the genus , which consists of three species:

The common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus)

The Indo-Pacific common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)

The Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis)

They found all over the temperate waters of the world's oceans except the Antarctic and Arctic Circle regions.

Bottlenose dolphins are very intelligent and can use tools.

They are very social and playful.

The average body weight of a bottlenose dolphin is up to 300 kg (660 Ibs).

They can reach a length of about 13 feet (4 meters).

They can swim at a speed of 35 km (22 miles) per hour.

The maximum jumping height of a bottlenose dolphin in the air is up to 20 feet (6 meters).

How Fast Can A Bottlenose Dolphin Swim - Dolphin Speed

37. Spinner Dolphin Facts

They are kept in captivity in marine parks and Dolphinaria.

In the wild, they found in the warm and temperate waters of the oceans all over the world.

Their body length ranges from 2 to 4 meters while their body weight ranges between 150 and 650 kg.

Their jaw structure gives them an irresistible smiling appearance.

Their lifespan is from 40 to 50 years.

Unlike other dolphins, Atlantic or Common bottlenose dolphins have a more flexible neck. The reason is that five of their seven vertebrae are not fused.

39. Striped Dolphin Facts

A bottlenose dolphin can jump up to 20 feet (6 meters) high in the air.

40. Atlantic Spotted Dolphin Facts

It is a small-sized dolphin found in tropical sea waters all around the world.

There are four subspecies of the spinner dolphin:

The Eastern spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris Orientalis)

Central American or Costa Rican spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris centroamericana)

Gray's or Hawaiian spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris longirostris)

Dwarf spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris roseiventris)

The Spinner dolphin is well-known for its acrobatic exhibition, in which it rotates or spins with its longitudinal axis as it jumps in the air.

Spinner dolphin makes 2 to 5.5 spins per jump.

41. Amazon River Dolphin Facts - Pink Dolphin Facts

It is the known smallest and rarest dolphin subspecies in the world.

Maui dolphin is found only in the sea of the western region of North Island (Te Ika-a-Maui), New Zealand.

They have up to 50 kg of body weight with about 1.7 meters of body length.

Their estimated latest population is 63 individuals of 1 year age.

They have up to 20 years of lifespan.

42. Baiji Dolphin Facts - Yangtze River Dolphin Facts

It inhabits the tropical and temperate waters of all around the oceans of the world.

Adult individuals have a body size of up to 2.6 meters in length and a bodyweight of 160 kg.

Striped dolphins are very social and travel in large groups of 25 to 100.

Their estimated population is about 2 million.

The striped dolphin is also one of the most extensively studied dolphin species.

The older individuals of this species have a distinguishing spotted coloration throughout their bodies.

Atlantic spotted dolphins are of medium body size with up to 2.2 meters body lengths and with a bodyweight of up to 140 kg.

They are very social and live in groups of 5 to 15 individuals.

44. Common Dolphin Facts

It belongs to the family Iniidae (a family of toothed whales).

The Amazon or pink river dolphin is the largest dolphin species among river dolphins.

Pink river dolphin also has a hump on their back rather than a dorsal fin.

Currently, there are three recognized subspecies of the Amazon or pink river dolphin;

The Amazon river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis geoffrensis), is found in the Amazon basin.

Bolivian river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis boliviensis) found in the upper region of the Madeira River in Bolivia.

Orinoco river dolphin (Inia geoffrensis humboldtiana) found in the Orinoco basin.

They have a wide range of diets and eat about 53 different species of fish along with other animals like crabs and river turtles.

Learn more here: Amazon River Dolphin

45. Florida Dolphin Facts

It is found only in the Yangtze River of China.

The size of Baiji dolphins ranges from 2.3 to 2.5 meters with bodyweight between 135 to 230 kg.

Their estimated life expectancy in the wild is up to 24 years.

Like other river dolphins, Baiji dolphin also relays mostly on their sonar and hearing senses to navigate as they have very poor vision.

In Chinese folklore, Baiji or Yangtze river dolphin is known as the "Goddess of the Yangtze".

Baiji dolphin is considered to be the first species propelled to extinction due to human activities in modern times.

46. Dolphin Behavior Facts

Dusky dolphins are found off the coasts of Southwestern Africa, South America, Southern Australia, and throughout the waters of New Zealand.

The body size of a population of dusky dolphins varies greatly according to their habitat.

In New Zealand, the recorded size of dusky dolphin is between the rage of 1.67 meters to 1.78 meters body length and with the bodyweight of 69 to 78 kg.

They live in groups of 10 to 20 individuals.

Like other oceanic dolphins, dusky dolphins have an excellent sense of vision and have a playful nature.

Their estimated lifespan in the wild is up to 20 years.

47. Dolphin Learned Behaviors

48. Dolphin Characteristic Behavior

Unlike bottlenose dolphin, the common dolphin is not much popular.

It inhabits warm-temperate and tropical waters of the sea.

The body size of an adult individual ranges between 1.9 to 2.5 meters with the bodyweight between 80 to 150 kg.

They swim at a maximum speed of up to 60 km/h.

49. What Do Dolphins Do For Fun - What Do Dolphins Like To Do

The temperate waters of Florida with food abundance is the favorite region of dolphins to live.

Many different species of dolphins are found in Florida.

The most common species are bottlenose dolphin and the Atlantic spotted dolphin.

Florida waters are also the breeding site of dolphins.

50. What Is A Group Of Dolphins Called - Dolphin Pod Facts

51. What Are Dolphins Predators - Dolphin Predators

The playful nature is the characteristic behavior of all dolphin species.

Dolphins often play and chase one another. They often throw objects like seaweed to one another.

The playful nature is an important factor in having sociality and bond between dolphins.

53. Dolphin Adaptations

They are polite creatures and encounter a new dolphin friendly.

They are observed of friendly interacting with humans and often follow ships.

Dolphins also like to spend time with each other and love to socialize for fun.

For fun, they play with each other and are also observed in making love.

54. Dolphin Echolocation Facts - Dolphin Sonar Facts

55. Dolphin Communication Facts

Large-sized dolphin species like Orca or killer whale is an apex predator and do not have any natural predators.

Small-sized species also do not have a wide range of predators.

Orca also sometimes prey on other dolphins.

56. Dolphin Hearing Facts

Dolphins have many adaptations which enable them to survive in the marine climate.

The most important adaptation of dolphins is echolocation, through which they navigate, communicate, and locate and recognize objects.

Dolphins have streamlined body shape due to which they face less resistance when swimming and do not consume a huge amount of energy.

Having a blowhole on the top of their head is another adaptation of dolphins. So that they inhale and exhale quickly at the water surface.

Dolphins can hold their breath for 10 to 12 minutes.

They regularly dive at a depth of 3 to 46 meters. Dolphins do not need much deep dive for food. Like humans, deep diving can also exert negative physiological impacts on dolphins.

Dolphins have several thermoregulatory strategies, due to which their body temperature remains constant. They have blubber (a thick layer of fat) just beneath their skin which prevents heat loss. Their circulatory system adjusts as well as conserves heat.

When dolphins sleep, half of their brain stay alert and conscious in order to take a breath and protect itself from threats.

57. How Long Can A Dolphin Live Out Of Water - How Long Can Dolphins Survive Out Of Water

58. How Do Dolphins Breathe Underwater - Dolphin Breathing Facts

Dolphins communicate through a wide range of sounds.

Through the first year of life, each dolphin develops a specific and distinctive sound, which is unique for every individual.

This unique sound is like their name through which they identify each other.

Besides sounds, dolphins also communicate through nonverbal gestures, body language, and touch.

60. Dolphin Fish Vs Dolphin Mammal

There are two fish species which are commonly known as the dolphinfish; the common dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus) and pompano dolphin fish (Coryphaena equiselis).

Dolphin fish is a fish, not a dolphin, and got its confusing name from its previous classification in the genus Dolfin.

Their common names include; Mahi-mahi, dorado, pompano, dolphin, and dolphinfish.

It is a colored, ray-finned, and surface-dwelling fish that has a dorsal fin spreading on the whole body.

Dolphin is a wide group of aquatic mammals.

They belong to the infraorder Cetacea.

There are approximately 44 species of dolphins.

Unlike humans and other land-mammals, dolphins do not have external ears.

They receive sound waves through their throat, which pass to the inner ear through fat-filled cavities.

Dolphins have an isolated hearing system from the skull, which enables them of greater underwater directional hearing.

They have the ability to listen to a wide range of sound frequencies, from 20 Hz to 150 kHz.

62. Interesting Facts About Dolphins - Amazing Facts About Dolphins

63. Fun Facts About Dolphins

Yes, dolphins sleep.

But unlike humans, they never fall completely asleep and can not be caught napping, especially in the wild.

In dolphins, half part of their brain sleeps while the other half stays awake and alert. This kind of sleep is known as Unihemispheric Slow-wave Sleep.

The awake part of the brain monitors the surrounding environment for possible predators and ensure breathing.

In such a case, their respiration becomes automatic and through a tail kick reflex, the blowhole remains above the water surface if needed.

65. Dolphin Pictures To Color

66. Dolphin Facts For Kids Videos

After human beings, dolphins have the second most complex and powerful brain in the animal kingdom.

Dolphins possess the most excellent sonar system on the planet Earth, which is known as the biological sonar or echolocation.

Every individual dolphin has a specific signature whistle, through which they recognize each other. Scientists consider their specific whistles as their names.

In the animal kingdom, dolphins also have the most longer memory and can recognize the special whistles of each other even after the separation of about 20 years.

Underwater, a dolphin can hold its breath for an average time of 10 to 12 minutes.

Dolphins exchange up to 80% of their lung air during a single breath. (this amount for humans is only about 17%).

While humans have the ability to hear sounds of 20Hz to 20kHz frequencies, dolphins can hear the sounds of 20Hz to 150kHz frequencies.

Dolphins have the ability to recognize themselves and the mirror.

Through echolocation, a dolphin can differentiate between two objects of diameters of 2 and a half inches and 2 and a quarter inches.

Dolphins are capable to understand human language and are known to comprehend several hundred words and respond to specific human gestures.

Dolphins have the natural ability to survive and recover extremely deep injuries from shark bites. Even very deep wounds do not cause excessive blood loss in dolphins that lead to death.

Dolphins are capable to understand and talk with each other over a phone call.

In Ancient Roman civilization, dolphins were believed of bringing souls to the Islands of the Blest.

Dolphins fulfill their water requirements from the food they eat and do not drink water.

Dolphins also possess belly buttons, through which they were attached to their mothers in the womb.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Dolphin Facts For Kids -Learn All About Dolphins

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Complete Dolphin Facts For Kids that will answer all the questions that arise in a kids' mind. Learn all about dolphins, appearnce, their color, classification, species, weight, length, lifespan, special features, body parts, teeth, brain, intelligence,diet, habitat, prey, predator, adaptations, behavior, hunting techniques, echolocation, communication, lifecycle, baby dolphin and many other interesting facts about dolhpins for kids along with pictures, slideshows and videos.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dolphin Facts

Dolphins are one of the most beautiful groups of aquatic mammals. Most dolphin species live in the sea water and can be found in all oceans of the world, and just few species live in the fresh water of Asia and South America. Number of dolphins decreased greatly due to commercial fishing, accidental catch (together with other fish) and because their normal source of food is seriously reduced as a consequence of the global warming. Several dolphin species can become extinct in the near future.

Dolphins can range in size from 4-30 feet, and weigh between 90 pounds and 11 tons. Maui's dolphin is the smallest, while orca is the largest species of dolphin.

Dolphins have 100 teeth in their mouth. Despite large number of teeth, they don't chew their food - they swallow their prey in one piece.

All dolphins are carnivores (meat-eaters). Smaller dolphins eat fish and squids, while large dolphins like orca eat seals, sea lions and other type of dolphins and whales.

Dolphins use echolocation to locate the prey and detect predators. They produce clicks that travel through the water and bounce off from each object in front of them. Sound returns back in the form of echo. Dolphin can identify type and size of the object, its speed and location using echolocation.

Besides echolocation, dolphins use whistles, squeaks and squawks to communicate with each other.

Dolphins live in large groups called pods. They are social and very playful animals. They often play with other members of the pod, or even with seaweed.

Even though they like to play, they are very compassionate and they will nurture old or sick members of the pod whenever necessary.

Dolphins breathe atmospheric air using the hole on the top of their head. Some dolphins can't stay longer than 20 seconds under the water, but other can dive up to 30 minutes without returning to the surface of the water to grab some air.

Dolphins need to remain conscious if they want to breathe. Because of that, dolphins can't afford a deep sleep. Instead of deep sleep, dolphins use only one half of their brain when they sleep. Other half keeps them "half conscious".

When they are resting, dolphins swim close to the surface, but when they are wide awake they can dive up to 1000 feet under water.

They can swim up to 25 miles per hours for a long period of time and leap a distance of up to 20 feet.

Dolphins can be seen in various aquariums around the world. They are able to learn a lot of tricks because they have large brain.

Male dolphin is called a bull, female - cow and baby is called a calf.

Pregnancy in dolphins lasts between 11 and 17 months. Females give birth of a calf whose tail appears first. Dolphins are only mammals whose babies come to the world by their tails instead of their heads. Baby dolphin stays with its mother 2-3 years.

Dolphins usually live around 17 years in the wild. Some species may live up to 50 years.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dolphins are one of the most beautiful groups of aquatic mammals. Most dolphin species live in the sea water and can be found in all oceans of the world, and just few species live in the fresh water of Asia and South America.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Dolphins

Things to Know
Dolphins are mammals. They are warm-blooded animals. Dolphins give birth to live young, nurse their young from mammary glands, have sharp teeth, beak like snout, a sickle-shaped dorsal fin, a four-chambered heart, are warm-blooded and have some hair but very little.

Dolphins breathe air. They have lungs and breath air through the blowhole located near the top of their head. They can not breathe under water like a fish can as they do not have gills.

Dolphins breathe air at the surface of the water through a blowhole. How often they need to breathe and how long they can hold their breath depends on the species. The common Dolphin can hold its breath up 15 minutes or more, although they usually stay only a few minutes diving. The bottle nosed dolphins needs to breath every 2 minutes.

When dolphins come to the waters surface to breathe, they make a short, explosive exhalation, then take a longer inhalation before submerging again. A dolphin empty and refill its blowhole in less than a fifth of a second. Water in a dolphins blowhole will drown the dolphin, a muscular plug closes the blowhole to keep water out of the dolphins lungs when they dive.

Mammals

Dolphins are mammals, not fish.

Dolphins are members of the cetaceans group of mammals; which includes all whales and dolphins. The cetacean order divides into two suborders. Type of teeth is used to determine which suborder the whale is; whales with teeth and whales with baleen. Dolphins have sharp teeth.

Habitat

Dolphins live all over the world, from cold northern waters and warm southern waters. Dolphins internal temperature is 98 degrees fahrenheit (36 degrees celsius). To conserve their body heat in cold water the dolphin has a think layer of fat called "blubber" just below the skin. Dolphins live in groups called pods. A pod is made up of 12 or more dolphins. The male dolphin is called a bull. The female dolphin is called a cow. A baby dolphin is called a calf.

Bottlenose dolphins prefer warm waters. The bottlenose dolphin is the saltwater mammal symbol of Florida, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

Senses

A dolphin can use sound, vision, touch, and taste. A dolphin has very little sense of smell. A dolphin can make a unique signature whistle that may help individual dolphins recognize each other. Sounds of whales and dolphins.

Echolocation

A dolphin will eat mainly fish or squid depending what part of the ocean they are in. Dolphins use their sense of sight, hearing, and echolocate to find the fish and squid they need to survive. Echolocation is a way to use sound to locate objects in the environment. Bats use it in the air and dolphins use it in the water. A dolphin produces frequencies with a clicking sound. It is believed that the dolphin can hear the returning echo by feeling the sound pulses. Different objects give off different echoes.

Body

The body shape of a dolphin helps it to be a fast swimmer. They are usually black, brown, or gray in color and are often marked with patterns of white or light colors. The deepest dive ever recorded for a bottlenose dolphin was a 990 feet (300 meters). It is most likely that many bottlenose dolphins do not dive very deep as many live in fairly shallow water. Dolphins can jump up to 15 to 30 feet above the water.

Sleep

Dolphins sleep with one eye open. They let one half of their brain sleep at a time. This allows them to watch for danger and know when to rise to the surface for breath. It makes it possible for the dolphin to surface to get breath, which they couldn't do if they were all the way asleep. A dolphin will sleep along the surface of the water or rise to the surface occasionally while sleeping along the bottom of a shallow area.

Dolphins and Porpoises

Some of the differences between dolphins and porpoises.

Porpoises are smaller, they seldom exceed 7 feet in length. Whereas, dolphins can exceed 10 feet in length. Porpoises have rounder heads than dolphins. A dolphin usually will have a large forehead. Porpoises are beak-less, whereas dolphins will have a beak.

Recommended Book

<

Dolphin (I Can Read Level 3)
by Robert A. Morris

Perfect for young readers. A lovely story about the life of a pod of dolphins and the adventures of a baby dolphin.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
pirate activites for school age children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dolphins Things to Know Dolphins are mammals. They are warm-blooded animals. Dolphins give birth to live young, nurse their young from mammary glands, have sharp teeth, beak like snout, a sickle-shaped dorsal fin, a four-chambered heart, are warm-blooded and have some hair but very little. Dolphins breathe air.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Wolves work together to hunt, raise their young, and protect their territory. Wolves communicate with more than howls. They whimper and whine, growl and bark, yelp and snarl. They also use scents produced by their bodies to communicate. A wolf's sense of smell is 100 times stronger than a human's. One source of scent is urine, which they use to mark territory and to tell other wolves in their own pack where they are. Another way wolves communicate is through body language. If a wolf feels confident, it will approach another wolf with its head and tail held high and ears perked up. If you saw a wolf slinking toward another with its body lowered, its tail between its legs, and its ears flattened, you'd know it was approaching a dominant animal.

( Find out how these canines are making a comeback.)

When a pack of wolves does howl, it can be heard from ten miles away. The howl is used as a way to call to another pack or warn of danger. Each pack has a unique howl, and while they don't howl at the moon, wolves howl more when the moon is full and bright.

When a wolf wants to play, it prances about happily and bows-lowering the front of its body while its rump stays up in the air with its tail wagging. When its angry, a wolf may furrow its forehead, show its fangs, or growl. A wolf's body language may remind you of another animal: a pet dog. Wolves and dogs are closely related, and the ways they communicate are similar.

Young wolves stay in their parents' pack for at least two years before some of them take off to join other packs or to start their own. They may stay close to their parents or go far away. Wolf pups play a lot as they're growing. They leap and pounce, chase and wrestle, play hide-and-seek and tag-a lot like you do!

A new wolf couple will produce one litter of pups every year. Just like a human older brother or sister looks after its younger sibling, the older wolf offspring care for their younger brothers and sisters by finding them food.

In some areas, gray wolfs are classified as endangered, but in most places, they are seen to have healthy population numbers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Wolves live in groups called packs. A pack is a family of 7-8 wolves with a mom, dad, and offspring. The wolves' communication skills are very important to the pack's survival. Wolves work together to hunt, raise their young, and protect their territory. Wolves communicate with more than howls.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

The wolf is the largest member of the Canidae family and is a social animal which hunts and lives in a pack of between 2 and 30 wolves. They are the ultimate hunting predator and top of the food chain. The only threat to the wolf is human hunters. Read the fact file below for more information on this endangered species. For more information on this social animal read the fact file below or download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

The wolf is the largest member of the Canidae family. The coyote evolved from the wolf over 500,000 years ago. The Gray Wolf and the Red Wolf are the two types of wolves living in North America.

Wolves are social animals that live in packs. Packs can have as little as 2 members or as many as 30 members. The average pack size is 6 to 8. Pack Territories vary with location.

In the Alaskan or Canadian Wilderness the territory for one pack ranges from 300 to 1,000 square miles while in the continental U.S. the territory is between 25 and 150 square miles.

The North American Wolf can weigh between 40 to 175 pounds. Their length varies between 4'6″ and 6'6″ from muzzle to tip of tail. The height of an average Wolf is between 26 and 32 inches at the shoulder.

Wolves have large feet, the average being 4 inches wide by 5 inches long. Wolves have 42 teeth and rounded ears. The wolf has extremely powerful jaws. Their fur color varies from pure white or pure black to tan or gray.

The wolf has 2 types of hair, "Guards and "Undercoat". The hair of the wolf is shed in the spring and summer and sheds out in sheets unlike most dogs. The wolf's sense of smell is more than 100 times greater than a human.

In the wild, wolves live on the average of 6 to 8 years. In captivity, wolves can live much longer. One wolf lived to be 16 years old.

Wolves breed once a year and they have an average litter size is 4 to 6 cubs. The cubs weigh approximately one pound at birth and cannot see or hear. Mortality rates for wolf pups can be as high as 50%. All members of a wolf pack take part in caring for the young.

The wolf primarily travels at a 5 mile per hour trot. A wolf can go as fast as 35 miles per hour for a short distance.

Wolves are carnivores (meat-eater) that eat beaver, bison, elk, caribou, moose and deer. They also eat small rodents. The wolf does little chewing. They can eat twenty pounds of prey at a feeding.

The wolf is an ultimate predator at the top of the food chain and is only threatened by people.

Wolves can communicate in many ways. They leave scent marks, make a variety of sounds, facial and body postures and rituals. Wolves communicate with each other more by making sounds and nuzzling.

Loss of habitat and being hunted by people are leading factors in the Wolves being on the "Endangered Species List".

Wolf Worksheets

This bundle contains 9 ready-to-use Wolf Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about The wolf which is the largest member of the Canidae family and is a social animal which hunts and lives in a pack of between 2 and 30 wolves. They are the ultimate hunting predator and top of the food chain.

Download includes the following worksheets:

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Wolf Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, June 3, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wolf Facts, Worksheets & Habitat Information For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample The wolf is the largest member of the Canidae family and is a social animal which hunts and lives in a pack of between 2 and 30 wolves. They are the ultimate hunting predator and top of the food chain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Fun Wolf Facts for Kids

Living and hunting in packs, wolves are wild dogs that come from the same group as the dingo and coyote.

They can reach speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph) when chasing prey and include a number of species such as the gray wolf (also known as the grey wolf or timber wolf), red wolf, arctic wolf, mexican wolf and white wolf. Read on for more interesting information and enjoy our full list of wolf facts.

Wolves are excellent hunters and have been found to be living in more places in the world than any other mammal except humans.

The wolf is the ancestor of all breeds of domestic dog. It is part of a group of animals called the wild dogs which also includes the dingo and the coyote.

Most wolves weigh about 40 kilograms but the heaviest wolf ever recorded weighed over 80 kilograms!

Adult wolves have large feet. A fully grown wolf would have a paw print nearly 13 centimetres long and 10 centimetres wide.

Wolves live and hunt in groups called a pack. A pack can range from two wolves to as many as 20 wolves depending on such factors as habitat and food supply. Most packs have one breeding pair of wolves, called the alpha pair, who lead the hunt.

Wolf pups are born deaf and blind while weighing around 0.5 kg (1 lb). It takes about 8 months before they are old enough to actively join in wolf pack hunts.

Wolves in the Arctic have to travel much longer distances than wolves in the forest to find food and will sometimes go for several days without eating.

When hunting alone, the wolf catches small animals such as squirrels, hares, chipmunks, raccoons or rabbits. However, a pack of wolves can hunt very large animals like moose, caribou and yaks.

When the pack kills an animal, the alpha pair always eats first. As food supply is often irregular for wolves, they will eat up to 1/5th of their own body weight at a time to make up for days of missed food.

Wolves have two layers of fur, an undercoat and a top coat, which allow them to survive in temperatures as low at minus 40 degrees Celsius! In warmer weather they flatten their fur to keep cool.

A wolf can run at a speed of 65 kilometres per hour during a chase. Wolves have long legs and spend most of their time trotting at a speed of 12-16 kilometres per hour. They can keep up a reasonable pace for hours and have been known to cover distances of 90 kilometres in one night.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wolf Facts - Gray, Red, Arctic, Timber, Mexican, Pups, Pack, Habitat, Interesting Wolves

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Fun Wolf Facts for Kids Living and hunting in packs, wolves are wild dogs that come from the same group as the dingo and coyote. They can reach speeds of 65 km/h (40 mph) when chasing prey and include a number of species such as the gray wolf (also known as the grey wolf or timber wolf), red wolf, arctic wolf, mexican wolf and white wolf.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Gray Wolf ( Canis lupus)
Also know as Wolf, Timber Wolf, Tundra Wolf, Lobo, and Prairie Wolf.

What they look like: Gray wolves, are the largest wild members of the dog family. Males are usually larger than females. They have silvery gray-brown backs, light tan and cream underparts, and long bushy tails. The fur can be any shade of gray, brown, black, white, or tan. In winter, their fur becomes darker on the neck, shoulders, and rump (see photo below).

Weight:
Male: 80-110 lbs. Female: 60-80 lbs.

Height: 26 to 32 inches

Length:
Male: 5-6.5 feet (nose to tip of tail) Female: 4.5 to 6 feet

Where they live:
Gray wolves are one of the most wide ranging land animals. They occupy a wide variety of habitats, from arctic tundra to forest, prairie, and arid landscapes. Hunting and habitat destruction have caused a steep decline in populations. Gray wolves are now found only in a few areas of Canada and the United States. Wild wolves live in these states: Alaska, Idaho, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Click the range map to learn more about the distribution of Gray wolves in Washington.

What they eat: Gray wolves are carnivorous -- they primarily eat meat. Wolves often hunt in packs for large prey such as deer, moose, sheep, goats, caribou, elk, bison, and muskox. Wolves also prey on rodents, beavers, fish, and birds.

Behavior: Gray wolves are territorial and live in packs lead by the alpha pair. A pack of 6 to 8 wolves includes some of the alpha pair's offspring and may include some unrelated wolves.

Gray wolves communicate with each other through howling, body language and scent. Howling is used to assemble the pack, communicate with other packs, and assert territorial boundaries.

Reproduction: Gray wolves mate between late January and March. Once the female chooses a partner, the animals may remain paired for a number of years. Litter size ranges from 4-6 pups. They usually breed once each year.

How long they live: Gray wolves have been known to live a maximum of thirteen years in the wild, though the average lifespan is about 5 to 9 years. They can live 14-15 years in captivity.

Did you know?

A wolf pack has been recently discovered in Washington state

Wolf tracks can be difficult to distinguish from those of large dogs.

Howling is used as a form of communication among wolf packs

Wolves can reach speeds of 40 mph during a chase

Wolf in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada (courtesy of Natures Pics)
Animal silhouettes available to purchase "
More information:
Canid Identification
Gray wolf - Defenders of Wildlife
Gray Wolf - Wikipedia

Gray Wolf Conservation and Management - Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW)
Wolf pair confirmed in Okanogan County - WDFW (July 23, 2008)

More photos: Wolf Photos by Tim Knight
Photo Credits: Tim Knight (top), Natures Pics (bottom)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
NatureMapping is a hands-on environmental science and education program linking kids, communities and professionals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
DK Find Out! | Fun Facts for Kids on Animals, Earth, History and more!

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

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
International Wolf Center | Teaching the World about Wolves.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun wolf facts for kids | International Wolf Center

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With so many things to know and discover about wolves, let's explore many of the fun facts there are out there! We can learn more now with this post.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Scientific Name:

Canis lupus

Average Life Span In The Wild:

6 to 8 years

Size:

Head and body: 36 to 63 inches; tail: 13 to 20 inches

Size relative to a 6-ft human:

What are gray wolves?

Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. A lone wolf howls to attract the attention of his pack, while communal howls may send territorial messages from one pack to another. Some howls are confrontational. Much like barking domestic dogs, wolves may simply begin howling because a nearby wolf has already begun.

Population and conservation

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.

In the lower 48 states, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, though some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, though many live in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.

Wolf pack behavior

Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. They are known to roam large distances, perhaps 12 miles in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey-large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 20 pounds of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit.

Wolfpacks are established according to a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male at the top and his mate not far behind. Usually this male and female are the only animals of the pack to breed. All of a pack's adults help to care for young pups by bringing them food and watching them while others hunt.

Did You Know?

- It's believed that wolves were first tamed in East Asia about 15,000 years ago.

- In Canada, beachcombing wolves swim between islands, eating crabs, clams, and other tidbits.

- Gray wolves are the planet's most widespread large land mammals after humans and livestock.

- A wolf pack is two or more wolves that have a defined territory.

- Wolves can go for more than a week without eating.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Scientific Name: Canis lupus Average Life Span In The Wild: 6 to 8 years Size: Head and body: 36 to 63 inches; tail: 13 to 20 inches Size relative to a 6-ft human: Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Wolves By: Laura Marsh, Narrated by: Ms. Morton, Reading Level M

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At an average height of around 5 m (16-18 ft.), the giraffe is the tallest land animal in the world.

Characterized by its long legs, long neck, and distinctive spotted pattern, many people first believed the giraffe was a cross between a leopard and a camel, which is reflected in its scientific name, Giraffa camelopardalis.

Giraffes live primarily in savanna areas in the sub-Saharan region of Africa. Their extreme height allows them to eat leaves and shoots located much higher than other animals can reach. In particular, they seek out acacia trees. Their long tongues are helpful in eating because they help pull leaves from the trees. Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb.) of leaves and twigs a day.

The male giraffe is both taller and heavier than the female. Both sexes have skin-covered knobs, called ossicones, on the top of their heads. Female ossicones are smaller and have a small tuft of fur on top, while male ossicones are bald on the top. These knobs are used to protect the head when males fight, which involves swinging their necks at each other in a show of strength called "necking."

When giraffes walk, they move both legs on one side of their body and then both legs on the other side, which is unusual. However, they run in a similar style to other mammals, swinging their rear legs and front legs in unison. They can reach 55 km/h (35 mph) at full speed but only in brief spurts.

Giraffes sleep less than two hours a day. In general, they sleep with their feet tucked under them and their head resting on their hindquarters, but they can also sleep for short periods of time standing up.

Female giraffes can become pregnant at 5 years old. They carry a baby for 15 months and give birth while standing up. Newborns are about 2 m (6 ft.) tall and weigh 70 kg (150 lb.).

They live up to 25 years in the wild.

Conservation Status

Giraffes are classified by IUCN's Red List as vulnerable of extinction. After researchers surveyed the population in trucks, by foot, by aircraft, and by remote cameras, they confirmed the number of giraffes has plummeted 40% since 1985. With some subspecies, such as the reticulated giraffe, the situation is even more dire, with their population declining by nearly 80%.

Giraffes face several threats, including loss of habitat due to logging for firewood. They are also hunted for their meat, hides, and tails, which are valued by many African tribes.

What You Can Do to Help

To help preserve giraffe populations, boycott products made with giraffe body parts and encourage others to do the same.

Giraffe Distribution

Giraffe Resources

Blog Posts about the Giraffe

About the Author

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

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Spending most of the day eating, a full-grown giraffe consumes over 45 kg (100 lb) of leaves and twigs a day. Learn more giraffe facts at Animal Fact Guide!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's time for the lowdown on one of nature's gentle giants! Check out our ten facts about the beautiful giraffe ...

Giraffe facts

1) Giraffes are found in the dry savannahs of Africa, where they roam among the open plains and woodlands.

2) Well known for their long necks, these gentle giants are the world's tallest living land animals. An adult male can grow to around 5.5m - that's taller than three adult humans!

(AD)

3) A giraffe's height is helpful for keeping a look out for predators, such as lions and hyenas. Their excellent eyesight allows them to spot hungry beasts from far away, too.

4) Herbivores, giraffes only eat plants. Their favourite grub is the acacia tree, and they use their long necks to reach the leaves and buds in the treetops. Their long tongues (which grow to a whopping 53cm!) also help them pull down leaves growing way up high.

5) And boy do these guys have an appetite! They spend most of their time eating, and can guzzle up to 45kg of leaves and twigs a day!

Did you know that we have a FREE downloadable giraffe primary resource? Great for teachers, homeschoolers and parents alike!

6) Whilst they may eat a lot, giraffes don't drink much water. This is because they get most of their water from their leafy meals, and only need to drink once every few days.

7) Giraffes are very social animals and roam around in groups. These groups, called towers, typically have around 15 members led by an adult male. The other members are females and young males.

8) To see who is stronger, males (called bulls) fight by butting their long necks and heads. This is known as " necking ". These fights aren't usually dangerous, and end when one bull admits defeat and walks away.

9) Female giraffes give birth standing up. The result? Newborns are welcomed to the world with a 1.5m drop to the ground! Ouch! But these infants are quick to get on their feet - within 30 minutes they are standing, and only hours later they"re able to run with their mothers.

10) In the wild these beautiful creatures live for around 25 years. In captivity they live longer, and have been known to reach 40 years old.

Images ⓒ Getty Images: Giraffe and babies, (10014200). Picture of giraffe with baby: Photograph by Roman Murushkin, Dreamstime. Picture of a baby giraffe: Photograph by Lukas Blazek, Dreamstime. Picture of giraffes eating from trees: Photograph by Warrengoldswain, Dreamstime

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 giraffe facts! - National Geographic Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
It's time for the lowdown on one of nature's gentle giants! Check out our ten facts about the beautiful giraffe ... 1) Giraffes are found in the dry savannahs of Africa, where they roam among the open plains and woodlands. 2) Well known for their long necks, these gentle giants are the world's tallest living land animals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This animal is well known for its super long neck and towering height - it is the tallest land animal in the world, after all, so that isn't much of a surprise.

I bet you already know who I'm talking about - it's the giraffe!

Native to the continent Africa, there are many other interesting things to learn about this amazing animal besides the obvious.

Read these very interesting facts so you can surprise your friends and family with your newfound giraffe knowledge.

Where do Giraffes live?

Giraffes like to live in very dry climates! You can find them in savannas, grasslands, and open forests.

Since giraffes are native to Africa, a very hot and dry place, they can definitely take the heat!

What do they eat and drink?

Giraffes like to roam and browse for their food, with Acacia leaves and shoots making up the bulk of their diet. They also enjoy leaves, herbs, and vines.

Despite popular belief, most giraffes do not eat very much grass.

Giraffes do, however, spend a lot of their time eating in general and can consume a whopping 100 lb of twigs and leaves a day.

it has been estimated that during certain times of the year giraffes spend 75 percent of their time roaming for food and eating!

Giraffes don't need much water despite being extremely large! Partly because they are able to use water from the plants they eat.

They only take the occasional drink (about once every few days), so they are often found far away from water sources.

How tall are giraffes?

As we mentioned, the giraffe is the tallest type of mammal in the entire world. Do you realize how many tall mammals there are?

Yet the giraffe outgrows them all! A male giraffe can grow up to 18 feet (5.5 meters), while a female giraffe can grow up to 14 feet (4.3 meters).

The legs of a giraffe average about six feet (1.8 meters) - that's actually taller than many humans!

Giraffes also have the longest tail of any mammal. Their tails can be up to 8 feet (or 2.4 meters) long.

Even though giraffes have very long necks their necks are too short to reach the ground because of their tall height.

This means when giraffes have to get a drink of water, they have to bend their front legs awkwardly to reach the ground. Imagine if you had to do that just to get a drink of water! Pretty crazy isn't it?

Giraffes aren't only tall, they can weigh quite a lot, too! The average male giraffe weighs between 2,400 to 3,000 pounds, while the average female can weigh anywhere from 1,600 to 2,600 pounds!

Giraffe is the 3rd heaviest animal in the world, after Elephants and Rhinos.

The spots on a giraffe are very distinctive, and look like human fingerprints. Interestingly enough, no two giraffes have the same set of spots.

Just like two snowflakes or sets of fingerprints are not the same either! Now that's pretty cool, isn't it? Even the giraffes are telling us that being unique is awesome!

Giraffe Neck

The Giraffe has a very long neck that can stretch over 7 feet long, which is nearly half it's overall height.

The long neck gives the Giraffe a slender appearance, even though the rest of its body is muscular and strong.

Giraffes, like humans, have 7 vertebrae in the neck.

Giraffe Tongue

Giraffes have long tongues that can grow over 50 cm. They use these massive tongues to pull down leaves efficiently.

Their tongue is a peculiar bluish black and purple color. Many think that this dark pigmentation is to protect their tongue from the Sun while they munch leaves from the top of the trees.

Giraffe Heart

Compared to the human heart that weighs just 0.7 lb , the Giraffe's heart is truly massive and weighs as much as 25 lb.

Giraffe's heart is the second heaviest of all land animals, just after the elephant.

For sheer size, it is the biggest, and no other land animal has such large heart size, not even the elephant.

Their heart pumps 60 liters of blood every single minute.

Giraffe Hooves

With hooves (30 cm) the size of a dinner plate, they are able to maintain balance despite their great height.

Their massive legs, strong foot and big hooves make for a powerful kick. They can and have killed lions with a single kick, yes! just one kick!

Those wide hooves also keeps them from sinking into loose sands.

Giraffe Horns

Both male and female giraffes have two horns on their head.

These horns are called ossicones and many males giraffes have thicker, less hairy ossicones than female giraffes. This is due to the sparring they do with other male giraffes.

Giraffe Calf

Female Giraffe's stand and give birth to baby giraffes. What this means is their babies get the 1.8 meter drop at birth - aahh!

Giraffe calves are already big at birth. They weight 100 lb and are close to 2m tall right after birth.

Giraffe calves live with their mother till they are 1.5-2 years old. They mature at 4 years and are considered fully grown at 6.

Giraffe calves depend on their mother for protection, many don't live past 1 year, due to predation from lions.

Giraffe Defenses

Adult male Giraffes are large and imposing. A single lion or hyena is no match. It would take a full pride of lions to take one down, and even then many such attempts are unsuccessful.

The Giraffe uses its height and excellent eyesight to spot predators like lions and hyenas from far.

Giraffe's mass and legs also work as defenses, they can stomp and kick predators to death. Adult giraffes are not easy lunch and most predators don't bother, unless there is a giraffe calf with the adult.

Animals like antelopes and zebras often graze near Giraffes to benefit from the giraffes ability to spot danger from a distance.

How long do Giraffes live

In the wild these gentle giants live for around 25 years, but in captivity few have lived over 40.

Are Giraffes Friendly

Giraffes are sensitive, gentle, social and friendly. They are not aggressive by nature, but do not usually like to be touched.

There are some zoos that allow people to feed adult giraffes.

More Fun Giraffe facts

Here's a funny mental image - giraffes, despite being very tall and very heavy, can run pretty quickly for their size!

The average giraffe will surprise you by running as fast as 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour over shorter distances, and 10 miles (16 kilometers) per hour over longer distances.

You can thank those long legs for that ability!

Male giraffes can be called bulls, while female giraffes can be called cows.

Believe it or not, giraffes spend most of their lives standing up. Yes, you read that right! Giraffes can even sleep standing up. Don't try that one at home!

Actually, giraffes don't sleep that often anyway. Many giraffes only require 5 to 30 minutes of sleep in a 24 hour period, which of course is far less than the 7 or 8 hours we humans need.

Believe it or not, giraffes can stand up within an hour of being born! They're pretty far ahead of us humans aren't they?

A giraffe's heart is typically 2 feet long and weighs around 25 pounds (11) kilogram, the biggest heart of any land animal.

A giraffe's heart weighs the same as the average two year old!

It was initially thought that Giraffes don't make sounds, but now it is well accepted that they bellow and make flute like sounds, and that a lot of their sounds are beyond range of human hearing.

Endangered Species

Certain kinds of giraffes are now endangered - this means they are at danger of becoming extinct.

The West African giraffe and the Rothschild's giraffe are both endangered. As a whole, the population of giraffes has decreased over the years, making some animal conservationists very worried.

In 1999, there were an estimated greater than 140,000 giraffes in Africa, while today the estimate is less than 80,000 giraffes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Fun Giraffe Facts For Kids [Pictures Inside]

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This animal is well known for its super long neck and towering height - it is the tallest land animal in the world, after all, so that isn't much of a surprise. I bet you already know who I'm talking about - it's the giraffe!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample

The giraffe is an even-toed ungulate from the same family as the camel and is the tallest of all animals that live on land. A giraffes front legs are actually 10% longer than their back legs! For more interesting facts and information on giraffes, keep reading or alternatively download our comprehensive worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Giraffes are even-toed ungulates which means they have an even number of toes on each hoof. They are related to cattle and deer and their closest relative is the okapi.

Giraffes are the tallest of all animals that live on land. Males can reach a height of 19 feet and weigh close to 4,200 pounds, and the females are smaller than males. The legs of a giraffe are also unusual. Their front legs are approximately 10% longer than their rear legs. They can run extremely fast for a short amount of time.

Giraffes have spots that cover their entire body except their bellies. The spots on each giraffe are very distinct, much like our fingerprints.

Both the male and female giraffes have horns. The females' horns have small tufts of hair on the end. Even though giraffes have an extremely long neck, it is only made up of seven vertebrae, like all other mammals. The vertebrae, however, form very flexible joints which allows the giraffe to reach food high up in the trees.

The giraffes long neck also gives them the best view of the surrounding area, and they can spot predators that are approaching from a long distance away.

Giraffes have a tongue that is able to grasp and hold items. This type of tongue is call prehensile. It also allows them to curl their tongue around leaves and branches high up in trees.

Giraffes require the least amount of sleep of any animal. They only need between 10 minutes and 2 hours of sleep a day.

Giraffes live in Africa. They live mostly on savannas and grasslands. Their favorite food, acacia, is a small tree or shrub that has small yellow flowers. Giraffes also drink large amounts of water which allows them to spend long periods of time in places that are extremely dry.

Giraffe perform a behavior called necking. Necking duels occur when males fight. Giraffe use their heads to strike a blow and they also use their necks to show affection toward another giraffe. Giraffes are normally quiet animals. They do not have only one distinct sound that they make. They will, however, cough, whistle, bellow, moo, grunt, snort and hiss.

Female giraffes have only one calf and carry the calf between 14 to 15 months before it's born. The baby giraffe spends the first two weeks of its life lying on the ground which makes it very vulnerable to predators. The mother giraffe protects her baby and will receive help from the other females in the herd. Less than half of all the calves that are born will reach adulthood. A giraffe can live to be 28 years old.

Lions are the only natural predator that poses a threat to an adult giraffe. The lion will try and knock the giraffe off its feet, making it very vulnerable. However, one strong kick from a giraffe can shatter a lion's skull or break its back. People hunt giraffes for their skin, meat and tail.

Giraffes are also threatened as their habitat continues to get smaller. An unusual threat to giraffes that are kept in captivity occurs because of their height. Giraffes are vulnerable to lightning strikes.

Giraffe Worksheets

This bundle contains 9 ready-to-use Giraffe Worksheets that are perfect for students who want to learn more about South Dakota which is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. Dakota came from the Sioux Indian word, which means "to friend". Today, it's known as the Mount Rushmore State.

Download includes the following worksheets

Giraffe Facts

Quick Quiz

Giraffe Basics - Color Giraffe

External Anatomy

Sub-nine

Taller than.. - Compare and Contrast

Sivatherium - Siva-drawn

Gir-activities - Sentence Acrostics

Speak Giraffe

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as Giraffe Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, September 17, 2017
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Giraffe Facts, Worksheets & Information For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version Download sample The giraffe is an even-toed ungulate from the same family as the camel and is the tallest of all animals that live on land. A giraffes front legs are actually 10% longer than their back legs!

# 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
What if you could look in a second story window without even standing on your tiptoes? Giraffes can. Giraffes are the tallest mammals. Their legs are 6 feet long and so are their necks. Wild giraffes live only in Africa, but you can see them at the zoo.

Giraffes have only two predators, besides humans, crocodiles and lions. Giraffes are most vulnerable when they are taking a drink at a watering hole. They have to spread their legs wide to lower their necks. In this awkward position, they are easy prey for predators. Usually one giraffe keeps watch while another one gets a drink. If a giraffe is attacked, it kicks its attacker with its long legs and sharp hooves.

Fun Facts about Giraffes for Kids

Giraffes have hearts that are 2 feet long.

A male giraffe is called a Bull, baby giraffes are called Calves and females are called Cows

Giraffes sleep only five to 30 minutes every day. Usually they stand up to sleep. They only lie down if another giraffe can stand watch.

Giraffes can run up to 35 miles per hour.

These tall animals need a lot of food to keep them going. They eat up to 75 pounds of leaves every day. They love the leaves from acacia trees. These trees have long thorns but giraffes can eat around the thorns.

Giraffes have sticky tongues that can be 21 inches long!

A Giraffe gets most of the water they need from the leaves and plants they consume. They only need to drink direct water every few days

Giraffes don't like to be alone, they live in groups called Towers. Giraffes are social animals

Giraffes live wild in the African Savannas

The spots on giraffes are unique, no two giraffes spots are the same, just like humans - no two fingerprints are the same.

Giraffes have horns called ossicones - they are covered by hair and both male and female giraffes have ossicones. Males will sometimes use these horns while fighting.

Giraffe Vocabulary

Learn More All About Giraffes

Watch a video of these adorable giraffes:

A video about a baby giraffe's first steps.

Giraffe Q&A

Question 1: Why do Giraffes have such long eyelashes?

Answer 1: Giraffes have long, lush eyelashes to keep sand out of their eyes.

Question 2: How many babies do Giraffes usually have?

Answer 2: Giraffes usually have just one baby at a time. The baby drops out of the mother 5 feet to the ground.

Question 3: What do Giraffes like to eat?

Answer 3: Acacia leaves and twigs are a Giraffe favorite. They also eat Flowers, Fruits and Vines.

Question 4: How long do Giraffe live in the wild?

Answer 4: It is estimated that a Giraffe can live up to 25 years in the wild and up to 40 years in captivity (Zoo). They live longer in captivity as they have no predators and plenty of food and shelter. It's still better to see them living outside captivity.

What are the main predators of a Giraffe?

Answer 5: Unfortunately Giraffe have predators such as Lions and sometimes Crocodiles. However, Giraffe are very agile animals and have a great awareness about them, they usually detect any threat of attack and make a run for it. Lions will generally attack a young Giraffe or injured. The Giraffes towering height will deter most predators.

Question 6: Why has a Giraffe such a long neck?

Answer 6: A Giraffe has a long neck for a number of reasons, the long neck allows them to survey the plains and spot predators such as Lions. They can also reach food high on tree branches. A Giraffe will also use their necks for what is called "Necking". Necking is when Giraffes fight. They swing their necks wildly and use their heads as clubs.

Question 7: Are Giraffes endangered?

Answer 7: Unfortunately the giraffe population has decreased by over 30%. Poaching and sprawling cities and towns are the giraffes main threat.

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

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What if you could look in a second story window without even standing on your tiptoes? Giraffes can. Giraffes are the tallest mammals. Their legs are 6 feet long and so are their necks. Wild giraffes live only in Africa, but you can see them at the zoo.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Scientific Name:

Giraffa camelopardalis

Average Life Span In The Wild:

25 years

Weight:

1,750 to 2,800 pounds

Size relative to a 6-ft man:

Giraffes are the world's tallest mammals, thanks to their towering legs and long necks. A giraffe's legs alone are taller than many humans-about 6 feet . These long legs allow giraffes to run as fast as 35 miles an hour over short distances and cruise comfortably at 10 miles an hour over longer distances.

Behavior

Typically, these fascinating animals roam the open grasslands in small groups of about half a dozen.

Bulls sometimes battle one another by butting their long necks and heads. Such contests aren't usually dangerous and end when one animal submits and walks away.

Height and Size

Giraffes use their height to good advantage and browse on leaves and buds in treetops that few other animals can reach (acacias are a favorite). Even the giraffe's tongue is long! The 21-inch tongue helps them pluck tasty morsels from branches. Giraffes eat most of the time and, like cows, regurgitate food and chew it as cud. A giraffe eats hundreds of pounds of leaves each week and must travel miles to find enough food.

The giraffe's height also helps it to keep a sharp lookout for predators across the wide expanse of the African savanna.

The giraffe's stature can be a disadvantage as well-it is difficult and dangerous for a giraffe to drink at a water hole. To do so they must spread their legs and bend down in an awkward position that makes them vulnerable to predators like Africa's big cats. Giraffes only need to drink once every several days; they get most of their water from the luscious plants they eat.

Female giraffes give birth standing up. Their young endure a rather rude welcome into the world by falling more than 5 feet to the ground at birth. These infants can stand in half an hour and run with their mothers an incredible ten hours after birth.

Population

Giraffes have beautiful spotted coats. While no two individuals have exactly the same pattern, giraffes from the same area appear similar.

Up until recently, the consensus has been there is only one species of giraffe with multiple subspecies. In 2016, some scientists released a study that claims genetic differences among giraffe populations indicate the existence of four distinct giraffe species.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover why giraffes are much more than the world's tallest mammals. Learn how their young are welcomed, rather rudely, into the world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Many young giraffes, called calves, die from lion attacks during their first year of life. Once a giraffe reaches adulthood its height is often enough to protect it from lions. Adult giraffes, however, must still be careful of lions when they are bending down to drink water or rest. Usually giraffes will drink or rest in shifts so that at least one giraffe is always on the lookout for approaching predators.​

​The giraffes' height and excellent vision give them a wide view of the grasslands where they live, making it easy to spot predators from a distance. Some scientists believe that other animals-such as zebras, antelope, and wildebeests-often congregate near giraffes to take advantage of their ability to see danger from a distance. The giraffe could be considered the early warning system of the African grasslands.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Giraffes grow about 4 feet (1.2 meters) in their first year of life. A newborn giraffe is about 6 feet (1.9 meters) tall at birth and weighs about 150 pounds (68 kilograms). Many young giraffes, called calves, die from lion attacks during their first year of life.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Giraffe Facts for Kids

Giraffes are the tallest land animals on earth thanks in part to their distinctive necks which alone can reach almost 2 meters in height.

Find out more about their habitat and other fun giraffe facts.

A male giraffe can weigh as much as a pick up truck! That's about 1400 kilograms.

Although a giraffe's neck is 1.5 - 1.8 metres, it contains the same number of vertebrae at a human neck.

A giraffe's habitat is usually found in African savannas, grasslands or open woodlands.

The hair that makes up a giraffes tail is about 10 times thicker than the average strand of human hair.

The distinctive spots that cover a giraffe's fur act as a good camouflage to protect the giraffe from predators. When the giraffe stands in front of trees and bushes the light and dark colouring of its fur blends in with the shadows and sunlight.

It is possible to identify the sex of the giraffe from the horns on its head. Both males and females have horns but the females are smaller and covered with hair at the top. Male giraffes may have up to 3 additional horns.

Giraffes are ruminants. This means that they have more than one stomach. In fact, giraffes have four stomachs, the extra stomachs assisting with digesting food.

Drinking is one of the most dangerous times for a giraffe. While it is getting a drink it cannot keep a look out for predators and is vulnerable to attack.

Male giraffes sometimes fight with their necks over female giraffes. This is called "necking". The two giraffes stand side by side and one giraffe swings his head and neck, hitting his head against the other giraffe. Sometimes one giraffe is hit to the ground during a combat.

A female giraffe gives birth while standing up. The calf drops approximately 6 feet to the ground, but it is not hurt from the fall.

Giraffes have bluish-purple tongues which are tough and covered in bristly hair to help them with eating the thorny Acacia trees.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Giraffe Facts - African, Habitat, Neck, Tongue, Interesting Information

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Giraffe Facts for Kids Giraffes are the tallest land animals on earth thanks in part to their distinctive necks which alone can reach almost 2 meters in height.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Giraffe Facts for Kids | Classroom Edition Giraffes Learning Video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Interesting Animal Facts : Giraffe | Giraffe Essay in English | Learn Animals | Giraffe Song Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Giraffes for Kids: Learn about Giraffes - FreeSchool