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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8Yvx9aZumc

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Polar Bears for Kids | Wild Animals | Arctic Animals

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ7QfIUHvKU

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOHFt15eVD4

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All About Snakes for Kids: Learn about Snakes for Children - FreeSchool

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Dolphins for Kids | All About Dolphins | Bottlenose Dolphins

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Most dolphins are 7-10 feet (2-3 meters) long, but some species can reach a length of 13 feet (4 meters). Dolphins have smooth, rubbery skin. They are usually colored in some mixture of black, white, and gray. They have two flippers, or fins, on their sides, as well as a triangular fin on the back.

What are 5 interesting facts about dolphins?

What are 10 interesting facts about dolphins?

What are 20 facts about dolphins?

Mar 13, 2017 · https://patreon.com/freeschool - Help support more content like this!Despite living in the ocean ...
Duration: 4:52
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Please click here if you are not redirected within a few seconds. Most dolphins are 7-10 feet (2-3 meters) long, but some species can reach a length of 13 feet (4 meters). Dolphins have smooth, rubbery skin. They are usually colored in some mixture of black, white, and gray.

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15 Most Rare Shark Species Hidden in The Ocean

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What If Megalodon Sharks Never Went Extinct? | The Megalodon | The Dr Binocs Show | Peekaboo Kidz

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https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/polarbear.html

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Fun Polar Bear Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Polar Bears

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https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/snake.html

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Snake Facts for Kids

Check out our range of fun snake facts for kids. Learn about snake skin, snake charming, snake anatomy and much more.

Read on and enjoy a variety of interesting information about snakes.

Snakes are carnivores (meat eaters).

Snakes don't have eyelids.

Snakes can't bite food so have to swallow it whole.

Snakes have flexible jaws which allow them to eat prey bigger than their head!

Snakes are found on every continent of the world except Antarctica.

Snakes have internal ears but not external ones.

Snakes used in snake charming performances respond to movement, not sound.

There are around 3000 different species of snake.

Snakes have a unique anatomy which allows them to swallow and digest large prey.

Snakes are covered in scales.

Snakeskin is smooth and dry.

Snakes shed their skin a number of times a year in a process that usually lasts a few days.

Some species of snake, such as cobras and black mambas, use venom to hunt and kill their prey. Read more venomous snake facts.

Snakes smell with their tongue.

Pythons kill their prey by tightly wrapping around it and suffocating it in a process called constriction.

Some sea snakes can breathe partially through their skin, allowing for longer dives underwater.

Anacondas are large, non-venomous snakes found in South America that can reach over 5 m (16 ft) in length.

Python reticulates can grow over 8.7 m (28 ft) in length and are considered the longest snakes in the world.

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Fun Snake Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Snakes

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Snake Facts for Kids Check out our range of fun snake facts for kids. Learn about snake skin, snake charming, snake anatomy and much more.

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https://aquaworld.com.mx/en/blog/15-fun-facts-about-dolphins/

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Dolphins are mammals known for their friendliness. There are over 40 species of dolphins, the most common being the Bottlenose dolphin. Did you know these 15 fun facts about dolphins?

Dolphins are found all across the world and are close relatives of whales. Check out the cool facts about these beautiful creatures.

They stick with their mothers for a long time

It is in the nature of the dolphins to stick with their mothers for a long time before they leave their pack. Some stay with their mothers for 3 or even 8 years!

Dolphins have 2 stomachs

One is used for storage of food and the other is used for digestion.

They dive up to 1,000 feet

Dolphins are known to be great divers. Being creatures of the sea, they can dive up to 1,000 feet underwater.

Dolphins can live up to 50 years!

Even though the average lifespan of dolphins is about 17 years, some can even live up to 50 years!

There are around 40 species of dolphins

There are many types of dolphins, around 40 different species. While the majority of them spend their lives in saltwater, many can survive just fine in freshwater. The smallest of their kind is 3-4 feet long, while the largest is 30 feet!

Dolphins help the sick or injured members

These caring creatures are often seen tending to the sick, the old and the injured in their group, which is known as 'pod'.

Extremely intelligent animals

They are not only the friendliest or caring creatures but also the most intelligent ones. It is believed by scientists that comparing the ratio size of brain to body, dolphins take the 2nd place right after the humans!

Dolphins never chew their food

Dolphins never chew their food, they swallow it as a whole. Their teeth are used only to catch their prey.

They give themselves names

It has been proved by scientists that dolphins give themselves names. They develop their own individual whistles and they recognize theirs and other dolphins' names.

They sleep with only half their brain

When they are asleep, one part of their brain remains alert and awake. This keeps them safe from potential predators, and enables them to breathe while sleeping.

Dolphins are very friendly to humans and animals

They love to play with members of their pods and are friendly to even humans. They are often seen playing and teasing other animals living underwater.

Killer whales are the biggest kind of dolphin

Opposite to their name, Killer Whales belong to the dolphin family. Killer Whales, reaching up to a length of 30 feet, are the biggest of their kind.

Dolphins can migrate if they don't have enough food

Not known to many, Dolphins can migrate if their needs of food are not met. Even though they are not migratory animals, they will move to places where they have enough food and the climatic conditions are suitable to their body temperatures.

They have delicate skin but heals quickly

Dolphins have very delicate skin, getting injured at the slightest touch of hard surface. However, due to their fast healing attribute, even the deepest of wounds can be healed within a short time.

Some can swim at 20 miles per hour

They can swim at the rate of 3 to 7 miles per hour. Some exceedthat and travel at the speed of 20 miles per hour.

Meet and swim with dolphins in Cancun or Riviera Maya with Aquaworld

Aquaworld provides many ways through which you can meet, interact and swim with dolphins. You can have a full-day or an hour session with the dolphins in Cancun or Rivera Maya.
If you are on a family vacation, then a great way to let the children have fun is to take part in our Dolphin Interactive Program, specially designed for the kids starting from the age of 3.

But, if neither of the aforementioned are for you, then do check out our Trainer for a Day program where you can interact with these playful creatures and learn everything about them.
In any event swimming with dolphins is really something you would not like to miss on your ideal vacation in Cancun or Riviera Maya!

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Dolphins are mammals known for their friendliness. There are over 40 species of dolphins, the most common being the Bottlenose dolphin. Did you know these 15 fun facts about dolphins? Dolphins are found all across the world and are close relatives of whales. Check out the cool facts about these beautiful creatures.

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https://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/dolphin.html

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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.

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Fun Dolphin Facts for Kids - Interesting Facts about Dolphins

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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.

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https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/dolphin/353061

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Dolphins look like big fishes, but they are actually mammals. They belong to a large group of animals called whales. Dolphins are closely related to porpoises. Because dolphins and porpoises look so much alike, people often confuse the two. However, dolphins are usually larger and have longer, beaklike snouts.

There are more than 35 species, or types, of dolphin. They are divided into two groups: true dolphins and river dolphins. True dolphins live throughout the world in either salt water or freshwater. The most widespread species are the common dolphin and the bottlenose dolphin. River dolphins live only in South America and Asia. They prefer freshwater.

Most dolphins are 7-10 feet (2-3 meters) long, but some species can reach a length of 13 feet (4 meters). Dolphins have smooth, rubbery skin. They are usually colored in some mixture of black, white, and gray. They have two flippers, or fins, on their sides, as well as a triangular fin on the back. A dolphin must come up to the water's surface to get air. It breathes through a single nostril, called a blowhole, on the top of its head.

Dolphins are known for being intelligent and playful. They live together in groups, called schools. They use sounds to communicate.

About 10 to 12 months after mating, a female dolphin gives birth to a single baby, or calf. The mother nudges the newborn calf up to the surface so that it can take its first breath. Some types of dolphin may live for 30 years.

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Dolphins look like big fishes, but they are actually mammals. They belong to a large group of animals called whales. Dolphins are closely related to porpoises. Because...

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https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/bottlenose-dolphin

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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 ev…

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https://kids.kiddle.co/Snake

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Snakes

Scientific classification

Infraorders

Alethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923

Scolecophidia Cope, 1864

Approximate world distribution of snakes, all species

Snakes are reptiles. They are part of the order Squamata. They are carnivores, with long narrow bodies and no legs. There are at least 20 families, about 500 genera and 3,400 species of snake.

The earliest known fossils are from the Jurassic period. This was between 143 and 167 million years ago.

Their long, slender body has some special features. They have overlapping scales which protect them, and help them move and climb trees. The scales have colours which may be camouflage or warning colours.

Many species have skulls with more joints than the skulls of their lizard ancestors. This allows the snakes to swallow prey much larger than their heads. In their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side. Most have only one working lung. Some species have kept a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca. They have no eyelids or external ears. They can hiss, but otherwise make no vocal sounds.

They are very mobile in their own way. Most of them live in the tropics. Few snake species live beyond the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn, and only one species, the common viper ( Vipera berus) lives beyond the Arctic Circle. They can see well enough, and they can taste scents with their tongues by flicking them in and out. They are very sensitive to vibrations in the ground. Some snakes can sense warm-blooded animals by thermal infrared.

Most snakes live on the ground, and in the trees. Others live in the water, and a few live under the soil. Like other reptiles, snakes are ectotherms. They control their body temperature by moving in and out of the direct sunshine. That is why they are rare in cold places.

Snakes range in size from the tiny, 10.4 cm (4 inch)-long thread snake to the reticulated python of 6.95 meters (22.8 ft) in length. The extinct snake was 12.8 meters (42 ft) long.

Snakes are thought to have evolved from lizards. The earliest snake fossils are from the Lower Cretaceous. A wide range of snakes appeared during the Paleocene period ( c 66 to 56 million years ago).

The Squamata are definitely a monophyletic group: it is a sister group to the Tuatara. Judged by their fossil record, the squamates were present in the Mesozoic, but had a minor place in the land ecology. Three of the six lines are recorded first in the Upper Jurassic, the others in the Cretaceous. Probably all, certainly the lizards, arose earlier in the Jurassic. The Mosasaurs of the Upper Cretaceous were by far the most successful of all the lizards, becoming the top predator in their ecosystem.

Although snakes and lizards look very different, neither is a proper clade. Snakes did descend from early lizards, not once, but a number of times.

There is a monophyletic clade within the Squamata. It is the Toxicofera. It includes all venomous snakes and lizards, and many related non-venomous species. The evidence for this is in recent molecular analyses.

Fossil snakes

The fossil of a primitive snake from the Lower Cretaceous has been found. It lived about 113 million years ago. It had rather small front and rear legs. Several other fossil snakes have been found with small rear legs, but this is the first one with all four legs. The snake, Tetrapodophis amplectus, lived on land and was adapted to burrowing. The researcher said there were "a lot of very advanced snake features, including its hooked teeth, flexible jaw and spine - and even snake-like scales. And there's the gut contents - it's swallowed another vertebrate. It was preying on other animals, which is a snake feature". The snake came from the Crato Formation in Brazil, and lay in a private collection for many years. It was re-discovered in a museum at Solnhofen, Bavaria.

Most snakes are nonvenomous. Those that have venom use it mainly to kill and subdue prey rather than for self-defense. Some have venom potent enough to cause painful injury or death to humans. Nonvenomous snakes either swallow prey alive or kill by squeezing.

Two taxonomic families are entirely venomous:

A third family with the "rear-fanged" snakes (and most of the other snake species) is the

Many snakes have skulls with more joints than their lizard ancestors. This helps them swallow prey much larger than their heads. The bones of the head and jaws can move apart to let large prey move into their body. The throat, stomach and intestines can also expand in a most extraordinary manner. In this was, a thin-looking snake can swallow and digest a larger animal.

To fit their narrow bodies, snakes' paired organs (such as kidneys) are one in front of the other instead of side by side, and most snakes have only one working lung. Some species have a pelvic girdle with a pair of vestigial claws on either side of the cloaca. This is a relic of the legs which do not appear in modern snakes.

Snakes need to shed their skin regularly while they grow. This is called moulting. Snakes shed their skin by rubbing their head against something rough and hard, like a piece of wood or a rock. This causes the skin, which is already stretched, to split open. The snake keeps on rubbing its skin on various rough objects until the skin peels off from its head. This lets it crawl out, turning the skin inside out.

All snakes are carnivorous; they eat other animals. Some are venomous; they inject poison along grooves in their teeth. Some snakes are constrictrors. Constrictors are not venomous, so they squeeze their prey to death. Snakes swallow their food whole, and they cannot chew. Because snakes are cold-blooded, they do not have to eat as regularly as mammals. People who own pet snakes feed them as infrequently as once per month. Some snakes can go as long as six months without a good meal.

Snakes have a very flexible lower jaw, the two halves of which are not rigidly attached, and many other joints in their skull. They can open their mouths wide enough to swallow their prey whole, even if the prey is larger in diameter than the snake itself.

Not having arms and legs doesn't stop snakes from moving. They have developed several different ways of moving to deal with particular environments. Each type of snake movement is discrete and distinct from the others.

Lateral undulation

Lateral undulation is a snake's only way of moving in water, and the most common way of moving altogether. In this mode, the body of the snake alternately bends to the left and right, resulting in a series of rearward-moving "waves". While this movement appears rapid, snakes have rarely been seen moving faster than two body-lengths per second, often much less. This mode of movement has the same amount of calories burned per meter moved as running in lizards of the same mass.

Terrestrial

Terrestrial lateral undulation is the most common mode of moving for most snake species. In this mode, the posteriorly moving waves push against contact points in the environment, such as rocks, twigs, irregularities in the soil, etc. Each of these environmental objects, in turn, generates a reaction force directed forward and towards the midline of the snake, resulting in forward thrust while the lateral components cancel out. The speed of this movement depends upon the density of push-points in the environment, with a medium density of about 8 along the snake's length being ideal. The wave speed is precisely the same as the snake speed, and as a result, every point on the snake's body follows the path of the point ahead of it, allowing snakes to move through very dense vegetation and small openings.

Snakes move forward in water by moving their bodies in a wave-like motion. The waves become larger as they move down the snake's body, and the wave travels backwards faster than the snake moves forwards. Thrust is got by pushing their body against the water: this results in the observed slip. In spite of overall similarities, studies show that the pattern of muscle activation is different in aquatic versus terrestrial lateral undulation, which justifies calling them separate modes. All snakes can laterally undulate forward (with backward-moving waves), but only sea snakes have been observed reversing the motion (moving backwards with forward-moving waves).

Sidewinding

This is most often used by colubroid snakes ( colubrids, elapids, and vipers). They use it when the environment lacks anything firm to push against, such as a slick mud flat, or a sand dune. Sidewinding is a modified form of lateral undulation in which all of the body segments oriented in one direction remain in contact with the ground, while the other segments are lifted up. This results in a peculiar "rolling" motion. This mode of moving overcomes the slippery nature of sand or mud by pushing off with only static portions on the body, thereby minimizing slipping. The static nature of the contact points can be shown from the tracks of a sidewinding snake, which show each belly scale imprint, without any smearing. This mode of moving has very low caloric cost, less than ⅓ of the cost for a lizard or normal snake to move the same distance.

Concertina

When push-points are absent, but the space is too narrow for sidewinding, such as in tunnels, snakes rely on concertina moving. In this mode, the snake braces the back part of its body against the tunnel wall while the front of the snake extends and straightens. The front portion then flexes and forms an anchor point, and the back part is straightened and pulled forwards. This mode of moving is slow and very demanding, needing up to seven times the energy of laterally undulating over the same distance. This high cost is due to the repeated stops and starts of portions of the body as well as the need to use the muscles to brace against the tunnel walls.

Rectilinear

The slowest mode of snake moving is rectilinear moving, which is also the only one where the snake does not need to bend its body laterally, though it may do so when turning. In this mode, the belly scales are lifted and pulled forward before being placed down and the body pulled over them. Waves of movement and stasis pass posteriorly, resulting in a series of ripples in the skin. The ribs of the snake do not move in this mode of moving and this method is most often used by large pythons, boas, and vipers when stalking prey across open ground as the snake's movements are subtle and harder to detect by their prey in this manner.

The movement of snakes in trees has only recently been studied. While on tree branches, snakes use several modes of moving depending on species and bark texture. In general, snakes will use a modified form of concertina moving on smooth branches, but will laterally undulate if contact points are available. Snakes move faster on small branches and when contact points are present, in contrast to limbed animals, which do better on large branches with little 'clutter'.

Gliding snakes ( Chrysopelea) of Southeast Asia launch themselves from branch tips, spreading their ribs and laterally undulating as they glide between trees. These snakes can perform a controlled glide for hundreds of feet depending upon launch altitude and can even turn in midair.

Related pages

Images for kids

An adult Barbados threadsnake, Leptotyphlops carlae, on an American quarter dollar.

A "海豹蛇" ("sea-leopard snake", supposedly Enhydris bocourti) occupies a place of honor among the live delicacies waiting to meet their consumers outside of a Guangzhou restaurant.

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Snakes Scientific classification Infraorders Alethinophidia Nopcsa, 1923 Scolecophidia Cope, 1864 Approximate world distribution of snakes, all species Snakes are reptiles. They are part of the order Squamata. They are carnivores, with long narrow bodies and no legs. There are at least 20 families, about 500 genera and 3,400 species of snake.

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https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/snake/353785

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A snake is a reptile with a long, slender body but no arms or legs. Snakes are closely related to lizards. There are about 2,900 species, or kinds, of snake. The best-known...

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https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/article/super-snakes

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THEY "HEAR" WITH THEIR JAW.

Snakes don't have external ears to hear sound waves in the air. Instead, bones in their lower jaw pick up vibrations in the ground or water. The vibes trigger signals in the snakes' brains, which are received as messages. "Juicy mouse coming closer!"

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Snakes are masters of disguise, skilled hunters, and champion eaters. Here are eight awesome things you may not have known about these carnivorous reptiles.

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https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-polar-bears/

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Easy Science for Kids Polar Bears - The Biggest Bears - learn fun facts about animals, the human body, our planet and much more. Fun free Polar Bears - The Biggest Bears activities!

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https://www.harpercollins.com/blogs/harperkids/10-polar-bear-facts-for-kids

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https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear

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11 Amazing Barred Owl Facts You Didn't Know [Must Check #4]

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Swishing through the deep sea, a goblin shark notices a small, yummy-looking squid. The animal inches toward its prey. But as the fish closes in, the snack starts to dart away. So the shark thrusts its jaw three inches out of its mouth! (The jaw is connected to three-inch-long flaps of skin that can unfold from its snout.) The predator then grabs the squid in its teeth. After scarfing down the meal, the shark fits its jaw back into its mouth and swims off.

SLOW GOING

Goblin sharks are a species of fish that usually live at the bottom of the ocean along continental shelves (or a continent's edges). These pink animals can grow 12 feet long and weigh up to 460 pounds. They have narrow snouts and fanglike teeth. Spotted mostly off the coast of Japan, they're named for their likeness to mythical goblins that appear in Japanese folklore.

Scientists don't know much about the behavior of these rarely seen animals. But they believe that goblin sharks are solitary, just like many other shark species. They also think the fish are most active in the morning and evening. These animals are likely sluggish creatures, which can make it hard to chase food. Luckily for the slowpokes, their special extendable jaws give them some extra bite.

BIG MOUTH

A goblin shark's top and bottom teeth are attached to ligaments, or bands of skin tissue, tucked into its mouth. When prey is just out of reach, the shark extends the elastic tissue out of the mouth to nab the grub. This allows the animal to chow down on snacks such as teleost fish and squid. It also makes the shark one jaw-dropping fish!

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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https://kids.kiddle.co/Owl

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Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes, which includes over 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl.

A group of owls is called a "parliament".

Owls can rotate their heads and necks as much as 270°. Owls have 14 neck vertebrae compared to seven in humans, which makes their necks more flexible. They also have adaptations to their circulatory systems, permitting rotation without cutting off blood to the brain: the foramina in their vertebrae through which the vertebral arteries pass are about 10 times the diameter of the artery, instead of about the same size as the artery, as is the case in humans; the vertebral arteries enter the cervical vertebrae higher than in other birds, giving the vessels some slack, and the carotid arteries unite in a very large anastomosis or junction, the largest of any bird's, preventing blood supply from being cut off while they rotate their necks. Other anastomoses between the carotid and vertebral arteries support this effect.

The smallest owl-weighing as little as 31 g ( oz) and measuring some 13.5 cm ( in)-is the elf owl ( Micrathene whitneyi). Around the same diminutive length, although slightly heavier, are the lesser known long-whiskered owlet ( Xenoglaux loweryi) and Tamaulipas pygmy owl ( Glaucidium sanchezi). The largest owls are two similarly sized eagle owls; the Eurasian eagle-owl ( Bubo bubo) and Blakiston's fish owl ( Bubo blakistoni). The largest females of these species are 71 cm (28 in) long, have a 190 cm (75 in) wing span, and weigh 4.2 kg ( lb).

Different species of owls produce different sounds; this distribution of calls aids owls in finding mates or announcing their presence to potential competitors, and also aids ornithologists and birders in locating these birds and distinguishing species. As noted above, their facial discs help owls to funnel the sound of prey to their ears. In many species, these discs are placed asymmetrically, for better directional location.

Sexual dimorphism

Sexual dimorphism is a physical difference between males and females of a species. Female owls are typically larger than the males. The degree of size dimorphism varies across multiple populations and species, and is measured through various traits, such as wing span and body mass.

One theory suggests that selection has led males to be smaller because it allows them to be efficient foragers. The ability to obtain more food is advantageous during breeding season. In some species, female owls stay at their nest with their eggs while it is the responsibility of the male to bring back food to the nest. If food is scarce, the male first feeds himself before feeding the female. Small birds, which are agile, are an important source of food for owls. Male burrowing owls have been observed to have longer wing chords than females, despite being smaller than females. Furthermore, owls have been observed to be roughly the same size as their prey. This has also been observed in other predatory birds, which suggests that owls with smaller bodies and long wing chords have been selected for because of the increased agility and speed that allows them to catch their prey.

There is another theory. As long as in many species, female owls may not leave the nest, females may have a larger mass to allow them to go for a longer period of time without starving. Larger females are more capable of dismembering prey and feeding it to their young, hence female owls are larger than their male counterparts.

A different theory suggests that since large females can choose their mate and may violently reject an unsuitable male, smaller male owls have the ability to escape unreceptive females and are more likely to have been selected.

Hunting adaptations

All owls are carnivorous birds of prey and live on diets of insects, small rodents and lagomorphs. Some owls are also specifically adapted to hunt fish. They are very adept in hunting in their respective environments. Since owls can be found in nearly all parts of the world and across a multitude of ecosystems, their hunting skills and characteristics vary slightly from species to species, though most characteristics are shared among all species.

Flight and feathers

Most owls share an innate ability to fly almost silently and also more slowly in comparison to other birds of prey. Most owls live a mainly nocturnal lifestyle and being able to fly without making any noise gives them a strong advantage over prey alert to the slightest sound in the night. A silent, slow flight is not as necessary for diurnal and crepuscular owls given that prey can usually see an owl approaching. Owls' feathers are generally larger than the average birds' feathers, have fewer radiates, longer pennulum, and achieve smooth edges with different rachis structures. Serrated edges along the owl's remiges bring the flapping of the wing down to a nearly silent mechanism. The serrations are more likely reducing aerodynamic disturbances, rather than simply reducing noise. The surface of the flight feathers is covered with a velvety structure that absorbs the sound of the wing moving. These unique structures reduce noise frequencies above 2 kHz, making the sound level emitted drop below the typical hearing spectrum of the owl's usual prey and also within the owl's own best hearing range. This optimizes the owl's ability to silently fly to capture prey without the prey hearing the owl first as it flies, and to hear any noise the prey makes. It also allows the owl to monitor the sound output from its flight pattern.

The feather adaptation that allows silent flight means that barn owl feathers are not waterproof. To retain the softness and silent flight, the barn owl cannot use the preen oil or powder dust that other species use for waterproofing. In wet weather, they cannot hunt and this may be disastrous during the breeding season. Barn owls are frequently found drowned in livestock drinking troughs, since they land to drink and bathe, but are unable to climb out. Owls can struggle to keep warm, because of their lack of waterproofing, so large numbers of downy feathers help them to retain body heat.

Owls exhibit specialized hearing functions and ear shapes that also aid in hunting. They are noted for asymmetrical ear placements on the skull in some genera. Owls can have either internal or external ears, both of which are asymmetrical. Asymmetry has not been reported to extend to the middle or internal ear of the owl. Asymmetrical ear placement on the skull allows the owl to pinpoint the location of its prey. This is especially true for strictly nocturnal species such as the barn owls Tyto or Tengmalm's owl. With ears set at different places on its skull, an owl is able to determine the direction from which the sound is coming by the minute difference in time that it takes for the sound waves to penetrate the left and right ears. The owl turns its head until the sound reaches both ears at the same time, at which point it is directly facing the source of the sound. This time difference between ears is about 30 microseconds. Behind the ear openings are modified, dense feathers, densely packed to form a facial ruff, which creates an anterior-facing, concave wall that cups the sound into the ear structure. This facial ruff is poorly defined in some species, and prominent, nearly encircling the face, in other species. The facial disk also acts to direct sound into the ears, and a downward-facing, sharply triangular beak minimizes sound reflection away from the face. The shape of the facial disk is adjustable at will to focus sounds more effectively.

The prominences above a great horned owl's head are commonly mistaken as its ears. This is not the case; they are merely feather tufts. The ears are on the sides of the head in the usual location (in two different locations as described above).

While the auditory and visual capabilities of the owl allow it to locate and pursue its prey, the talons and beak of the owl do the final work. The owl kills its prey using these talons to crush the skull and knead the body. The crushing power of an owl's talons varies according to prey size and type, and by the size of the owl. The burrowing owl ( Athene cunicularia), a small, partly insectivorous owl, has a release force of only 5 N. The larger barn owl ( Tyto alba) needs a force of 30 N to release its prey, and one of the largest owls, the great horned owl ( Bubo virginianus) needs a force over 130 N to release prey in its talons. An owl's talons, like those of most birds of prey, can seem massive in comparison to the body size outside of flight. The Tasmanian masked owl has some of the proportionally longest talons of any bird of prey; they appear enormous in comparison to the body when fully extended to grasp prey. An owl's claws are sharp and curved. The family Tytonidae has inner and central toes of about equal length, while the family Strigidae has an inner toe that is distinctly shorter than the central one. These different morphologies allow efficiency in capturing prey specific to the different environments they inhabit.

The beak of the owl is short, curved, and downward-facing, and typically hooked at the tip for gripping and tearing its prey. Once prey is captured, the scissor motion of the top and lower bill is used to tear the tissue and kill. The sharp lower edge of the upper bill works in coordination with the sharp upper edge of the lower bill to deliver this motion. The downward-facing beak allows the owl's field of vision to be clear, as well as directing sound into the ears without deflecting sound waves away from the face.

Camouflage

The coloration of the owl's plumage plays a key role in its ability to sit still and blend into the environment, making it nearly invisible to prey. Owls tend to mimic the coloration and sometimes the texture patterns of their surroundings, the barn owl being an exception. The snowy owl ( Bubo scandiacus) appears nearly bleach-white in color with a few flecks of black, mimicking their snowy surroundings perfectly, while the speckled brown plumage of the tawny owl ( Strix aluco) allows it to lie in wait among the deciduous woodland it prefers for its habitat. Likewise, the mottled wood-owl ( Strix ocellata) displays shades of brown, tan and black, making the owl nearly invisible in the surrounding trees, especially from behind. Usually, the only tell-tale sign of a perched owl is its vocalizations or its vividly colored eyes.

Most owls are nocturnal, actively hunting their prey in darkness. Several types of owls are crepuscular-active during the twilight hours of dawn and dusk; one example is the pygmy owl ( Glaucidium). A few owls are active during the day, also; examples are the burrowing owl ( Speotyto cunicularia) and the short-eared owl ( Asio flammeus).

Much of the owls' hunting strategy depends on stealth and surprise. Owls have at least two adaptations that aid them in achieving stealth. First, the dull coloration of their feathers can render them almost invisible under certain conditions. Secondly, serrated edges on the leading edge of owls' remiges muffle an owl's wing beats, allowing an owl's flight to be practically silent. Some fish-eating owls, for which silence has no evolutionary advantage, lack this adaptation.

An owl's sharp beak and powerful talons allow it to kill its prey before swallowing it whole (if it is not too big). Scientists studying the diets of owls are helped by their habit of regurgitating the indigestible parts of their prey (such as bones, scales, and fur) in the form of pellets. These "owl pellets" are plentiful and easy to interpret, and are often sold by companies to schools for dissection by students as a lesson in biology and ecology.

Breeding and reproduction

Owl eggs typically have a white color and an almost spherical shape, and range in number from a few to a dozen, depending on species and the particular season; for most, three or four is the more common number. In at least one species, female owls do not mate with the same male for a lifetime. Female burrowing owls commonly travel and find other mates, while the male stays in his territory and mates with other females.

Symbolism and mythology

African cultures

Among the Kikuyu of Kenya, it was believed that owls were harbingers of death. If one saw an owl or heard its hoot, someone was going to die. In general, owls are viewed as harbingers of bad luck, ill health, or death. The belief is widespread even today.

In Mongolia, the owl is regarded as a benign omen. In one story, Genghis Khan was hiding from enemies in a small coppice when an owl roosted in the tree above him, which caused his pursuers to think no man could be hidden there.

In modern Japan, owls are regarded as lucky and are carried in the form of a talisman or charm.

Hootum Pyanchar Naksha by Kaliprasanna Singha (1841-1870), first published in 1861, is a book of social commentaries influential in Bengali literature. The name literally means "Sketches by a Watching Owl".

Sumerian and ancient Semitic cultures

In Sumerian, Akkadian, and Babylonian culture, the owl was associated with Lilith. This association also occurs in the Bible (in some translations) in Isaiah 34:14.

Ancient European and modern Western culture

The modern West generally associates owls with wisdom and vigilance. This link goes back at least as far as Ancient Greece, where Athens, noted for art and scholarship, and Athena, Athens' patron goddess and the goddess of wisdom, had the owl as a symbol. Marija Gimbutas traces veneration of the owl as a goddess, among other birds, to the culture of Old Europe, long pre-dating Indo-European cultures.

T. F. Thiselton-Dyer, in his 1883 Folk-lore of Shakespeare, says that "from the earliest period it has been considered a bird of ill-omen," and Pliny tells us how, on one occasion, even Rome itself underwent a lustration, because one of them strayed into the Capitol. He represents it also as a funereal bird, a monster of the night, the very abomination of humankind. Virgil describes its death howl from the top of the temple by night, a circumstance introduced as a precursor of Dido's death. Ovid, too, constantly speaks of this bird's presence as an evil omen; and indeed the same notions respecting it may be found among the writings of most of the ancient poets." A list of "omens drear" in John Keats' includes the "gloom-bird's hated screech."

One of the etymologies offered for the name of the German folk hero Till Eulenspiegel is that it means "Mirror for Owls".

In Hinduism, an owl is the vahana (mount) of the goddess Lakshmi, especially in the eastern region of India. Owls are considered a symbol of wealth, prosperity, wisdom, good luck, and fortune. This is the reason why Owls are seen with Lakshmi, who is also the goddess of fortune, wealth, and prosperity.

At the same time, owls are also associated with evil times in Hinduism. At times, Chamunda (fearsome form of Chandi) is depicted seated on an owl, her vahana (mount or vehicle). Hindus believe that owls are messengers of death.

Native American cultures

People often allude to the reputation of owls as bearers of supernatural danger when they tell misbehaving children, "the owls will get you", and in most Native American folklore, owls are a symbol of death.

The Aztecs and the Maya, along with other natives of Mesoamerica, considered the owl a symbol of death and destruction. In fact, the Aztec god of death, Mictlantecuhtli, was often depicted with owls. There is an old saying in Mexico that is still in use: Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere ("When the owl cries/sings, the Indian dies"). The , a Mayan religious text, describes owls as messengers of Xibalba (the Mayan "Place of Fright").

The belief that owls are messengers and harbingers of the dark powers is also found among the Hočągara (Winnebago) of Wisconsin. When in earlier days the Hočągara committed the sin of killing enemies while they were within the sanctuary of the chief's lodge, an owl appeared and spoke to them in the voice of a human, saying, "From now on, the Hočągara will have no luck." This marked the beginning of the decline of their tribe. An owl appeared to Glory of the Morning, the only female chief of the Hočąk nation, and uttered her name. Soon after, she died.

According to the culture of the Hopi, a Uto-Aztec tribe, taboos surround owls, which are associated with sorcery and other evils.

The Ojibwe tribes, as well as their Aboriginal Canadian counterparts, used an owl as a symbol for both evil and death. In addition, they used owls as a symbol of very high status of spiritual leaders of their spirituality.

The Pawnee tribes viewed owls as the symbol of protection from any danger within their realms.

The Puebloan peoples associated owls with Skeleton Man, the god of death and the spirit of fertility.

The Yakama tribes use an owl as a totem, to guide where and how forests and natural resources are useful with management.

Rodent control

Encouraging natural predators to control rodent population is a natural form of pest control, along with excluding food sources for rodents. Placing a nest box for owls on a property can help control rodent populations (one family of hungry barn owls can consume more than 3,000 rodents in a nesting season) while maintaining the naturally balanced food chain.

Attacks on humans

Although humans and owls frequently live together in harmony, there have been incidents when owls have attacked humans. For example, in January 2013, a man from Inverness, Scotland suffered heavy bleeding and went into shock after being attacked by an owl, which was likely a 50-centimetre-tall (20 in) eagle-owl. The photographer Eric Hosking lost his left eye after attempting to photograph a tawny owl, which inspired the title of his 1970 autobiography, An Eye for a Bird.

Conservation issues

Owls in culture

Mythology and stories that include owls are:

The owl is the symbol of the Greek goddess Athena (Minerva to the Romans)

Nursery rhyme- "The wise old owl sat in an oak, the more he heard, the less he spoke."

Poem by Tennyson- "The wise owl in the belfry sits..."

"Owl" is a character from the Winnie the Pooh books by A. A. Milne

Owls carry the mail in the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling

Related pages

In Spanish: Strigiformes para niños

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https://www.coolkidfacts.com/owl-facts-for-kids/

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If you've ever seen this nighttime animal before, you know that the owl has big, curious eyes and makes a unique "hoot" sound.

Owls are almost famous for their wise appearance, because their intelligent eyes glow and they stare so intensely.

Let's explore some owl facts!

You may be surprised to learn that owls are very interesting creatures, and there is a lot to learn about their mysterious ways.

They do a lot more than just hoot all night long!

Where do owls live?

Owls can be found in all different types of habitats, and every continent except Antarctica contains species of owls.

You can find owls in many places, from forests and deserts to mountains and prairies.

It all depends on which species of owl you're talking about, and there are a staggering 150 documented species of owls (possibly even more, depending on how you classify the different species).

19 species of owls are found in North America, including the following: barn owl, burrowing owl, eastern screech owl, great grey owl, spotted owl, and the long-eared owl, among many others.

No matter where the owl lives, one thing is certain - they are most active at night.

Unlike us humans, owls are nocturnal and prefer to stay awake and be active at night.

This is why a person who enjoys staying up late at night is often jokingly called a night owl!

Most owls do not go through the trouble of making their own nest - they just use an old tree cavity or another's bird's old nest.

What do owls eat?

Although their diet largely depends on the species of owl, most owls like to eat insects, small mammals (like hares and rabbits), and other smaller birds.

It is also common for owls to eat rodents, squirrels, bats, weasels, woodchucks, and even the random domestic cat as well.

Aren't you happy that your diet isn't like an owl's diet?

Some owls, such as the Asian Fish Owl and the African Fishing Owl, can catch fish and eat them.

Owls very rarely drink water - they get most of the hydration they need from the prey they feast on. It is quite rare to see an owl drinking water, but you might see them taking a bath.

Owls cannot actually chew their food because they do not have teeth. They use their beak to tear apart their food and eat it.

What do owls look like?

Most owls have notably large eyes, a flat face, and a large head. They also have a small, hooked beak that is downturned.

Owls generally have a rigid posture. Imagine trying to stand as straight as possible all of the time - the owl naturally has excellent posture!

Owls are birds of prey, meaning they have to hunt for food to survive.

For this reason, they have very large, sharp talons used for catching their food.

There are four toes on these talons, and one is opposable (like the human thumb) aiding owls in grasping things like tree branches and prey.

The size of an owl may vary, but most owls are at the lower end of the size range, with lengths of about 13-70 cm (5-28 inches) and wingspans between 0.3-2.0 metres (1-6.6 feet).

Females and males often look very similar, but the females are usually about 25 percent larger.

Believe it or not - quick facts about owls

Believe it or not, although owls mostly vary in size and appearance, they have one interesting ability in common - they can turn their heads an astonishing 270 degrees!

This is thanks to their necks containing double the amount of vertebrae "normal" birds have in their necks. It makes for a very funny sight to see.

Believe it or not, despite having very large eyes, owls do not have eyeballs. They actually have something more like eye tubes.

Lengthened and held in place by sclerotic rings - a bony structure in the skull - this interesting feature means that owls can't really move or roll their eyes.

Owls are very silent fliers. Seriously, they don't make a peep when they fly.

This is due mainly to very broad wings and special flying feathers that limit noise when an owl flaps its wings.

Believe it or not, despite popular belief, not all owls make that infamous "hoot" sound.

Owls can actually make many different sounds - they can screech, hiss, and even growl!

Believe it or not, the female owl is more aggressive and bigger than the male owl.

Browse our Animal facts.

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If you've ever seen this nighttime animal before, you know that the owl has big, curious eyes and makes a unique "hoot" sound. Owls are almost famous for their wise appearance, because their intelligent eyes glow and they stare so intensely. Let's explore some owl facts!

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https://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-owls/

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Did you know owls are sometimes a symbol of learning? Libraries and bookstores sometimes use pictures of owls to represent reading or wisdom. Maybe this is because owls can see in the dark, detecting things that others can't see. They are silent, quick and keep to themselves.

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https://www.dkfindout.com/uk/animals-and-nature/birds/owls/

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DK Learning: Make every lesson your best yet

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DK's uniquely visual approach engages students, enhancing their learning experience

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Author: Wild Animal Kingdom (continuation)

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https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/giant-panda

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Map data provided by IUCN

The panda, with its distinctive black and white coat, is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. This bear also has a special significance for WWF because it has been our logo since our founding in 1961.

Pandas live mainly in temperate forests high in the mountains of southwest China, where they subsist almost entirely on bamboo. They must eat around 26 to 84 pounds of it every day, depending on what part of the bamboo they are eating. They use their enlarged wrist bones that function as opposable thumbs.

A newborn panda is about the size of a stick of butter-about 1/900th the size of its mother-but females can grow up to about 200 pounds, while males can grow up to about 300 pounds as adults. These bears are excellent tree climbers despite their bulk.

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Map data provided by IUCN The panda, with its distinctive black and white coat, is adored by the world and considered a national treasure in China. This bear also has a special significance for WWF because it has been our logo since our founding in 1961.

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https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/50-panda-facts-celebrate-50-years-giant-pandas-smithsonians-national-zoo

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The Smithsonian's National Zoo has been home to giant pandas for 50 years! Enjoy these 50 fun facts in honor of the occasion.

1. The Zoo's first pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, were a gift from Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai to the American people in 1972 after First Lady Patricia Nixon mentioned how much she loved them at a dinner in Beijing, China, earlier that year.

2. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian, the Zoo's adult panda pair, arrived in 2000. The pair and their cub will stay at the Zoo until 2023 through an agreement with China Wildlife Conservation Association.

3. As few as 1,864 giant pandas live in their native habitat, while another 600 pandas live in zoos and breeding centers around the world.

4. Pandas are no longer an endangered species, thanks in part to Smithsonian research! Scientists and conservationists have worked to restore the giant panda's habitat and increase breeding in human care. Giant pandas are still considered a "vulnerable" species.

5. Though there are many theories, scientists are not certain why giant pandas have their distinctive black-and-white markings.

6. Pandas are solitary animals but will vocalize during social interactions. They sometimes chirp, honk, bleat, chomp and bark.

7. Pandas communicate through scent marking throughout their habitat and territory.

8. Giant pandas have a "pseudo thumb," formed by an elongated and enlarged wrist bone covered with a fleshy pad of skin, which helps them grasp bamboo.

9. A giant panda's digestive system is more similar to that of a carnivore than an herbivore, and much of what pandas eat is passed as waste.

10. To make up for their inefficient digestion, pandas need to consume a comparatively large amount of food - from 70 to 100 pounds of bamboo each day - to get all their nutrients.

11. The Zoo's Department of Nutrition grows bamboo at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. It also cuts bamboo from 20 stands located in the greater Washington, D.C., area.

12. In the past, the Zoo accepted donations of bamboo from the public - but not anymore.

13. A lot of science goes into feeding pandas and other animals! At the Zoo, giant pandas eat specially formulated nutritious biscuits, carrots, sweet potatoes and apples. Sweet potatoes are a favorite.

14. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian's favorite treat is an apple juice-flavored fruitsicle.

15. Xiao Qi Ji's favorite treat is a grape-flavored fruitsicle.

16. On special occasions, such as birthdays, the pandas receive a huge frozen cake. Watch how one is made!

17. Zoo staff never enter an enclosure with an adult giant panda. Like all bears, pandas are potentially dangerous.

18. A panda's jaws are so strong, they have a bite strength similar to that of a lion!

19. Giant pandas reach breeding maturity between 4 and 8 years old. They can have offspring until their early 20s.

20. Mei Xiang gave birth to Xiao Ji QI at age 22, making her the oldest panda to give birth in the United States - and probably the second oldest in the world (that we know of).

21. Giant pandas are fertile for less than three days each year. Smithsonian scientists developed ways to predict that window of time to improve chances for pregnancy.

22. Mei Xiang and Tian Tian have never successfully mated. All their cubs were born via artificial insemination.

23. Giant pandas can experience pseudopregnancy. A pseudopregnancy mimics a real pregnancy, but instead of giving birth at the end of it, a giant panda's hormones and behaviors return to normal. Mei Xiang is believed to have had at least six pseudopregnancies.

24. Mei Xiang has given birth to four cubs that survived to adulthood: Tai Shan (male born in 2005), Bao Bao (female born in 2013), Bei Bei (male born in 2015), and Xiao Qi Ji (male born in 2020).

25. Panda pregnancies last between 90 and 180 days, with an average pregnancy lasting 135 days. This wide variation in gestation occurs because the fertilized egg usually floats freely in the mother's uterus before it implants and begins developing.

26. Bears in the wild, including giant pandas, give birth in dens on a bedding of twigs, often in hollows of large logs or trees, or in caves. At the Zoo, keepers provide a small enclosure for pandas to "nest" in.

27. Although females may give birth to twins, usually only one cub survives.

28. Newborn giant panda cubs are born pink, hairless and blind. They weigh 3-5 ounces and are about the size of a stick of butter.

29. At 1/900th the size of its mother, a giant panda baby is the smallest mammal newborn relative to its mother's size, except for a marsupial, such as a kangaroo or opossum.

30. Giant panda mothers lick their cubs to help them urinate and defecate in their first weeks of life.

31. Giant panda mothers gently pick up cubs with their mouths to move them.

32. Giant panda mothers will breathe heavily on their cubs to keep them warm and humid.

33. After giving birth, giant panda mothers don't eat for a very long time! Their focus during this time is nurturing and protecting their cubs, rather than eating. Scientists have observed giant panda mothers in the wild go as long as one month without eating or drinking.

34. After Xiao Qi Ji was born, Mei Xiang didn't eat for 12 days.

35. External genitalia in bears doesn't develop until the bear is several months old. The best, and most reliable, way to determine a bear cub's sex is through DNA analysis. Scientists from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Center for Conservation Genomics obtain the DNA from a gentle cheek swab during a cub's veterinary exam.

36. Giant panda cubs may stay with their mothers for up to three years before striking out on their own. This means that a wild female, at best, can produce young only every other year.

37. All giant panda cubs born at the Smithsonian's National Zoo depart at around 4 years old to join breeding programs in China.

38. Male pandas are not involved in the care of their cubs. Fathers and their cubs may never encounter each other in the wild.

39. Scientists are not sure how long giant pandas live in the wild, but it is shorter than panda lifespan in zoos. They estimate that lifespan is about 15-20 years for wild pandas and about 30 years for those in human care. Chinese scientists have reported zoo pandas as old as 38.

40. The Smithsonian's National Zoo's giant panda Hsing-Hsing died at age 28 in 1999.

41. The giant pandas at the Zoo have air-conditioned grottos and misting sprays in their outdoor enclosure so the pandas can stay outside all summer long, if they choose to.

42. Giant pandas and red pandas are not as closely related as their names suggest. Red pandas are actually more closely related to raccoons than to giant pandas!

43. The Smithsonian National Zoo's Giant Panda Cams have been viewed more than 100 million times.

44. The Zoo's Giant Panda Cam program launched in 1999 and continues to this day, with about 40 cameras operating at any given time.

45. Volunteers operate these cameras and choose the two best views to share with the public via the Giant Panda Cam.

46. Smithsonian scientists have trained more than 1,500 students and professionals in China on techniques for studying and conserving giant pandas and their habitat.

47. Smithsonian scientists have produced more than 150 papers on groundbreaking biological and ecological discoveries related to giant pandas.

48. Smithsonian scientists created the framework for how pandas are bred to improve breeding success and genetic diversity. Zoos across the globe now use this same tool for other animals!

49. The greatest threat to wild giant pandas is habitat loss. Smithsonian scientists and colleagues are working to restore bamboo forests in the Qinling mountains of China.

50. Climate change threatens the giant panda's habitat. Everyone can help make a difference by using water and energy more efficiently.

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50 Panda Facts to Celebrate 50 Years of Giant Pandas at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

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The Smithsonian's National Zoo has been home to giant pandas for 50 years! Enjoy these 50 fun facts in honor of the occasion. The Zoo's first pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, were a gift from Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai to the American people in 1972 after First Lady Patricia Nixon mentioned how much she loved them at a dinner in Beijing, China, earlier that year.

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Here at National Geographic Kids, we love wonderful wild bears! Join us as we learn about one of nature's cutest critters in our facts about pandas!
Facts about pandas

1. Giant pandas (often referred to as simply "pandas") are black and white bears. In the wild, they are found in thick bamboo forests, high up in the mountains of central China - you can check out our cool facts about China, here!

2. These magnificent mammals are omnivores. But whilst pandas will occasionally eat small animals and fish, bamboo counts for 99 percent of their diet.

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3. Pandas are BIG eaters - every day they fill their tummies for up to 12 hours, shifting up to 12 kilograms of bamboo!

4. The giant panda's scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca, which means "black and white cat-foot".

5. Giant pandas grow to between 1.2m and 1.5m, and weigh between 75kg and 135kg. Scientists aren't sure how long pandas live in the wild, but in captivity they live to be around 30 years old.

6. Baby pandas are born pink and measure about 15cm - that's about the size of a pencil! They are also born blind and only open their eyes six to eight weeks after birth.

7. It's thought that these magnificent mammals are solitary animals, with males and females only coming together briefly to mate. Recent research, however, suggests that giant pandas occasionally meet outside of breeding season, and communicate with each other through scent marks and calls.

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

8. Family time! Female pandas give birth to one or two cubs every two years. Cubs stay with their mothers for 18 months before venturing off on their own!

9. Unlike most other bears, pandas do not hibernate. When winter approaches, they head lower down their mountain homes to warmer temperatures, where they continue to chomp away on bamboo!

10. Excitingly, conservation efforts mean that panda bear numbers are increasing in the wild. Though there's still lots of work to be done, the species is no longer considered endangered. Hooray!

Love reading about brilliant bears? Then check out our ten black bear facts, here!

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10 facts about pandas! - National Geographic Kids

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Check out ten facts about pandas here at National Geographic Kids. Learn where pandas live, what they eat, how big they grow and much more!

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Animal Fact Files: Owl Facts: The Bird of the Night

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Animal Fact Files: Owl Facts: The Bird of the Night

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Owl facts: the BIRD of the NIGHT 🦉 Animal Fact Files

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Penguins are flightless seabirds that live almost exclusively below the equator. Some island-dwellers can be found in warmer climates, but most-including emperor, adélie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins-reside in and around icy Antarctica. A thick layer of blubber and tightly-packed, oily feathers are ideal for colder temperatures.

The 18 different species of penguins can widely in shape and size but all have black bodies and white bellies. This protective countershading allows them to hide from predators like leopard seals and orcas while they swim.

While penguins can't fly, their stiff flippers, webbed feet, and sleek shape make them expert swimmers. In fact, they spend most of their lives in the ocean and do nearly all of their hunting for krill, squid, and crabs underwater. They can swim about 15 miles an hour, and when they want to go faster, they often porpoise, or leap out of the water as they swim.

Life on land

On land, penguins have an upright stance and tend to waddle, hop, or run with their bodies angled forward. Polar penguins can travel long distances quickly by " tobogganing," or sliding across the ice on their bellies and pushing forward with their feet. If it's especially cold, they huddle together in large colonies that protect them from predators and provide warmth. These colonies consist of thousands, and even millions, of penguins.

Breeding

Penguins come ashore to lay their eggs and raise their chicks. Most penguins stay with their mate for many years and lay only one or two eggs at a time. Parents take turns keeping their eggs warm, and when they hatch, feeding and protecting the chicks. For a few weeks each year, thousands of baby birds wait together while their parents forage for food. When mother and father return, chicks listen for the unique audio frequency of their parents' call, allowing them to reunite in a large, noisy crowd.

Soon after the chicks fledge, parents will begin molting. Unlike some birds that shed a few feathers at a time, penguins lose all their feathers at once during a process called catastrophic molt. They condense this process to just a few weeks because they must fast during this time-they can't hunt without their waterproof feathers.

Conservation and threats

About two-thirds of penguin species are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List, making them one of the most endangered seabirds. Loss of habitat, disease, and infectious diseases spread by tourists loom as threats. Commercial fishing in the Southern Ocean is also a significant concern, as it has reduced fish supply by about half in the Antarctic Peninsula. This forces many penguins to compete for food, and puts them in danger of getting accidentally captured by fishing nets.

Among the biggest threats to penguin populations is climate change. Warming in the polar regions has melted sea ice, which penguins depend on to find food and build nests. Rapidly changing conditions mean Antarctica could lose most of its penguins to climate change by the end of the century. To survive, they may have to relocate to new habitats.

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Penguins are flightless seabirds that live almost exclusively below the equator. Some island-dwellers can be found in warmer climates, but most-including emperor, adélie, chinstrap, and gentoo penguins-reside in and around icy Antarctica. A thick layer of blubber and tightly-packed, oily feathers are ideal for colder temperatures.

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https://www.coolkidfacts.com/penguin-facts/

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Cartoons have been made about them, as well as movies where they've shown off their dancing skills.

Although penguins probably aren't dancing around on the ice, there are still many amazing things they can do!

Keep reading to learn some interesting facts about penguins.

What are the characteristics of a penguin?

Penguins belong to the bird family but they cannot fly. They have black and white feathers that make excellent camouflage, and they have a special layer of feathers which helps to keep them warm.

They spend half of their life on land and the other half swimming in the water, so their wings have changed to act like flippers which makes them great swimmers.

Penguins are known for waddling their feet when they walk, and they also slide on their bellies across the snow. Both of these help them move while saving their energy.

Where do penguins live?

Almost all groups of penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere, which is the bottom half of the Earth. There is one group, the Galápagos penguin, that lives in a different part of the world, but this is not very common.

When we think about penguins, a lot of people usually think they all live in freezing cold climates like Antarctica.

While some penguin specie do live there, most penguins live in warmer areas. Penguins have adapted for life in the water, and they spend a lot of their time in or near the ocean.

Most groups of penguins can be found in Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa.

What are the Different Types of Penguin Species?

There are eighteen different kinds of species in Penguin. Each species has unique characteristics, including size, coloration, and behavior.

Some of the penguin species:

The Little Blue Penguin has a blue-grey back and white belly, with slate blue feathering on their head and wings.

Crested Penguins have yellow feather crests on their heads.

Fairy Penguins have blue-grey back and white belly and 16 inches tall, and weigh 1 kg.

Gentoo Penguins have a white belly and a bright orange-red beak.

Galapagos Penguins have a black back and white belly, with a distinctive black band across their chest.

What do penguins eat?

Most penguins eat krill (which is kind of like shrimp), fish, squid, and other types of sea life that they can catch while they swim in the water.

Do penguins have any predators?

Penguins have a few predators and these include sharks, orcas, and leopard seals. Humans used to hunt penguins for their oil and eggs, but because penguins are protected, this is now illegal.

How do penguins protect themselves?

One of the biggest ways that penguins protect themselves is by living in large groups.

Many predators will be less likely to attack if there are a lot of penguins around, and this also helps because there are so many of them keeping lookout.

Another way penguins protect themselves is by their special camouflage on their feathers which is called countershading.

Penguins have black feathers on their backs and white on their fronts, so if a predator is looking up from the water, like an orca or a leopard seal, they will have a hard time seeing the penguin because of the bright water surface.

Finally, penguins are excellent swimmers and can outswim a lot of their predators.

If they get close to land, they can jump out of the water at a high speed and quickly escape the threat.

Explorers first called them "Strange Geese."

The Galapagos penguin first bumped into the explorers who visited the Galapagos Islands in the 16th century. These penguins were mistaken for strange geese as they were unfamiliar with penguins. Later scientists realized that the birds were a penguin species and named them the Galapagos penguin.

Climate change is also a threat to the Galapagos penguin. Sea temperatures can impact penguins' ability to find food, as their prey species may migrate to cooler waters. Efforts are being made to protect the Galapagos penguin.

Penguins don't have teeth.

No, Penguins do not have teeth. They have small spines or barbs on the tongues and the roof of their mouths that help them grip and swallow their prey. Penguins do not chew their food; they use the powerful muscles in their stomachs to break down and digest it. Penguins are expert hunters and can dive to depths of up to 500 feet to catch their prey. Once they catch their prey, penguins use their barbed tongues and mouths to grip and swallow it whole.

Why are penguins called flightless birds?

Penguins are a group of flightless birds that have adapted to life in the water. As penguins cannot fly, they have developed a unique talent that allows them to swim and dive with incredible speed and agility. One of the striking adaptations of penguins is their ability to "fly" underwater. Penguins can swim up to 22 miles per hour and dive to depths over 500 feet. Penguins also have the ability to waterproof feathers that keep them warm and dry while diving.

Emperor Penguins can Hold Their Breath Underwater for an Average of 20 Minutes.

Yes, Emperor penguins can hold their breath underwater for an average of 20 to 27 minutes. Emperor Penguins are the largest species of penguins. This adaption of holding their breath for so long helps them to dive to depths of over 500 meters in search of food. While hunting for food, emperor penguins can swim up to 8 miles per hour using their wings to propel themselves through the water. An Emperor penguin can consume up to 4.4 pounds of food in a single feeding session.

Why are penguins called business goose?

The Chinese word for penguin, 企鹅 (qǐ'é), is made up of two characters: 企 (qǐ) and 鹅 (é). The character 企 (qǐ) means "Business," while 鹅 (é) means "goose." When these two characters are combined, they create a word that literally translates to "business goose." The reason for this translation is unclear, but it is believed that penguins, like geese, stand upright and have long necks. Chinese people use the term 企鹅 (qǐ'é) to refer to penguins without any reference to geese or business.

The Oldest Penguin Fossil

The oldest penguin fossil was discovered in 1982 on Seymour Island, off the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. The fossil was found by a team of paleontologists led by Dr. Ewan Fordyce from the University of Otago, New Zealand.

The fossil was estimated to be about 61 million years old and belongs to a previously unknown species of penguin known as Waimanu Manneringi. This ancient penguin species was about the size of a modern-day rockhopper penguin, standing about 2.5 feet tall, and had a long beak with teeth, unlike most penguins.

Physical Characteristics of Penguins

Penguins come in various sizes, have black and white coloration, and have a thick layer of feathers to keep them warm. Their wings have evolved into flippers, and they have webbed feet that help them swim. Penguins can hold their breath for extended periods and dive to great depths for food.

Penguins Breeding and Reproduction

Penguin breeding and reproduction involve elaborate mating rituals and nest building. Female penguins typically lay one or two eggs, and both parents take turns incubating eggs and feeding chicks. Chicks grow and eventually grow feathers, leaving the nest to learn how to swim and hunt for food.

Quick Facts

Some More Penguin Facts

Most penguins live in the Southern Hemisphere.

They spend half their life on land and half in the water.

Penguins eat krill, fish, squid, and other sea creatures.

Their biggest predators are sharks, orcas, and leopard seals.

Penguins can swim at speeds of over 20 miles per hour.

Whether you are familiar with penguins from nature shows, or tap-dancing movies, they are popular animals that many people know and love.

Penguins are excellent swimmers and are known for their belly slides and waddles. These fascinating creatures will continue to inspire stories and movies for years to come!

Now, let's explore more animal facts! But before you do, one last thing. Can you name two other animals you might find around the North Pole or South Pole?

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35 Interesting Penguin Facts For Kids [year] [With Pictures]

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35 Interesting Penguin Facts For Kids [With Pictures] Cartoons have been made about them, as well as movies where they've shown off their dancing skills. Although penguins probably aren't dancing around on the ice, there

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https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/birds/emperor-penguins/

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Are you wrapped up warm? We sure hope so - because Nat Geo Kids is off to the icy Antarctic to catch up with our penguin pals! Check out our top ten facts about emperor penguins...
Emperor penguin facts

1. Emperor penguins are truly beautiful birds. Adults have a white stomach and a black head, back, tail and wings. They also have yellowy-gold markings on the side of their head and neck.

2. Emperor penguins are the largest of all the different kinds of penguin. On average they measure 115cm tall - about the height of the average six year old.

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3. Emperor penguins spend their entire lives in Antarctica - the Earth's southernmost continent - where temperatures can drop to as low as -60°C. Brrrr.

4. To survive in such low temperatures, these brilliant birds have special adaptations - they have large stores of insulating body fat and several layers of scale-like feathers that protect them from icy winds. They also huddle close together in large groups to keep themselves, and each other, warm.

5. Around April every year (the start of the Antarctic winter) emperor penguins meet to breed on the thick Antarctic ice. By the time the female lays her egg (usually around June), she"s worked up a big appetite! She passes the egg to the male before journeying up to 80km to the open ocean where she can feed her hungry tummy on fish, squid and krill.

6. During this time, the males are in charge of keeping the egg safe and warm in the breeding ground. They do this by balancing the egg on their feet and covering it with feathered skin, called a ' brood pouch'. It takes about two months for the eggs to hatch.

7. The females return in July, bringing with them food in their bellies which they regurgitate (or throw up) for the chicks to eat. The females now take over babysitting duty, leaving the males to head to the ocean for their own fishing session.

8. As the youngsters grow, the parents leave them in groups, called ' crèches ', whilst they head to the ocean to fish. Come December, the warmer temperatures break up the ice that the penguins occupy, bringing open waters closer to the nesting site. By this time, the chicks are old enough to swim and fish, and take to the ocean themselves!
Without the warmth of the parents' brood pouches, emperor penguin chicks would die in just a few minutes in the cold of Antarctica.
9. These birds are super swimmers and impressive divers. They can reach depths of over 500m and stay underwater for up to 22 minutes!

10. Sadly, today emperor penguins are considered near threatened and their populations are expected to decline rapidly in years to come. It"s feared that rising temperatures due to global warming will reduce their breeding ground, and overfishing will mean less food for them to eat. The good news is that by looking after our planet, YOU can help protect these amazing animals. Check out our Five Top Conservation Tips for some environment-saving ideas!

Images ⓒ Bernard Breton, Dreamstime

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10 facts about emperor penguins - National Geographic Kids

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Ten facts about emperor penguins: learn all about the emperor penguin breeding cycle, where these birds live, what they eat and more...

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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.

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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.

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Frog Facts - Habitat, Amphibian, Wild, Tadpole, Interesting Information

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15 Facts About the Largest Shark In The World - MEGALODON

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Most UNBELIEVABLE Facts About HAMMERHEAD Sharks!

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom.

Fun Toad Facts for Kids

Toads are fascinating animals that feature unique behaviors and characteristics. Learn what a group of toads is called, where toads are found in the world and much more.

Keep reading for more interesting information and facts about toads.

Toads and frogs are both in the order Anura.

While toads and frogs are biologically the same there are some key differences between them. Toads are associated with a drier, wart-covered, leathery skin, and shorter legs than frogs. They also can live further away from water.

Toads are found on all continents except Antarctica and are also not present on isolated islands like New Zealand, New Guinea, and Madagascar.

A group of toads is often called a knot.

The common toad (or European toad), is a large-sized species of toad that is found throughout Europe, extending from Siberia into North Africa.

The cane toad that is native to South and Central America was introduced in Australia to combat the pest beetles of sugarcane plantations. However, the cane toad itself is now seen as a widespread pest in the country.

Like frogs, toads also start out life in water as fish-like tadpoles.

Toads have a pair of parotoid glands on the back of their heads. These glands and the skin in general, contain a poison which the toad excretes if feeling stressed or threatened. The poison has different effects on different animals, some find it irritating to eyes and mouth, while it may be fatal to others.

Some species such as the cane toad are more toxic than other species.

Contrary to popular believe you will not get warts by touching the bumpy wart-like skin or glands of a toad. The poison does not usually affect humans, however you should always wash your hands after touching a toad.

Toads may also play dead, or puff themselves up to appear bigger if they feel threatened by predators.

Toads do not have teeth, so they do not chew their food, instead swallowing it whole.

Toads are usually nocturnal. They burrow beneath the earth in the day and come out at night to feed on insects.

Toads will hibernate throughout the winter months.

In the wild, most toads species live on average 3 to 5 years. They have been recorded living as old as 39 years in captivity.

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Check out our awesome range of animal facts for kids and learn some fun trivia about our friends in the animal kingdom. Fun Toad Facts for Kids Toads are fascinating animals that feature unique behaviors and characteristics. Learn what a group of toads is called, where toads are found in the world and much more.

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