Wild Animals Easy Facts - Anaconda

Wildanimals4Kids.blogspot.com

WILD ANIMALS EASY FACTS

 

What is and an ANACONDA? Want to know some weird facts ?

  

Anaconda eyes : Easy Facts

Eyes glittering dangerously like diamonds! Look closer! 

Its bulky enormous length is submerged under the water. Looking for a tasty meal, it is lying in wait for an innocent animal to wander nearby. The sheer size of this wild creature can take your breath away. It is known as the largest and the heaviest snake in the world at about 227 kilograms. It lives in tropical lowlands, swamps and rivers of South America. It has a far greater mobility under water and swims under the surface keeping its head outside.

How does an anaconda hunt?

Found in shades of green and yellow, they have black spots all along their slithery bodies. Green anaconda females can reach a length of 40 feet while the males are only about 9 feet long. If you see a misshapen bulge, you could guess the kind of animal that it has swallowed. This non-venomous constrictor kills its prey by squeezing and crushing  the bones. It may even pounce on an animal and wrap its muscular body around to suffocate it.

 

Anaconda Size: Easy Facts

Do you know how anacondas reproduce?

Up to thirteen males, mate with a single female who is twice as big as them. Unlike other snakes, they don’t lay eggs but give birth to up to fifty offspring. During this time, she loses half her weight since she doesn’t hunt or eat. In rare cases, she can reproduce without males which is called ‘parthenogenesis’. The young ones are about two and half feet long and are independent since birth.

 

Anacondas are cannibals……seriously??

Well, it's a fact that after mating, a female often eats one or two males for nutrition, since she will be unable to hunt during the six to seven months of gestation. Sometimes they even eat their young ones to stay alive after birth.

The young ones can also be preyed upon by predators like caimans, crab-eating foxes, etc. But as they grow in size, their predators become their prey.

One more thing.....Anacondas are not pythons (another deadly snake)

Easy Facts for young kids

1.    The green anaconda is the largest snake in the world.

2.   They can grow up to 40 feet.

3.   They do not have poison.

4.   They live in swamps and rivers of South America.

5.   They have eyes on top of the head.

 

This blog post was created by:

Aarav Srivastava
Nipun Selarka
Puranjay Dubey

Check out the other posts in this blog to find weird and interesting facts on wild animals. Written in easy language, it is the BEST source for projects and school work. Other, Use these links to find information on birds and rare animals.

wildanimals4kids.blogspot.com - polar bear

 

NATURAL WORLD : WILD ANIMALS

POLAR BEAR

Cute and cuddly! Fur as white as snow. Oh! I want to hug it!
Wait! That's one of the most dangerous animals on earth - the polar bear. A full grown male is taller and much heavier than a human being. They stand around seven feet tall and are as heavy as a total of 10 humans. Female bears are slightly smaller. But this newborn cub is only as heavy as a puppy. 
Their bodies are covered with white fur. The skin underneath is black just like their noses. Under the skin, there is a thick layer of fat which keeps them warm in the icy weather. They evolved from brown bears as they began living in the Arctic regions two to three million years ago. Their paws grew bigger and flatter to help them walk on ice. The extra fat keeps them warm and they also developed webbed feet to help them swim in the icy water.
They are found in the northern regions of Alaska, Canada, Russia, Greenland and Norway. 

The diet

Arctic regions where polar bears live, are covered with ice with little or no vegetation. This makes them carnivorous and their diet consists of the meat of different kinds of seals, walruses and dead whales that have washed ashore. They are experts at tracking seals that live and breed in the ice holes and will spend hours hunting for them. When food is scarce, they will eat any other animal that they can catch.

How are babies born?

Polar bear mothers eat well a few months before the babies are born. Scientists have found that only when a female bear eats enough to grow as heavy as 490 pounds, her body is ready to give birth to cubs. 

When winter begins, she digs a hole in the icy ground to sleep for several months. This is called 'hibernation'. This is the period when she gives birth to one t0 three cubs in the cave which is much warmer than the ground outside. They need the warmth of the underground cave to survive or they would freeze to death in the flat ice treeless land.

 Newborn pups are almost blind and feed on mother's milk. They emerge from the cave in spring when they are about three months old. They follow their hungry mother who gradually teaches them to hunt. Cubs usually stay with their mother until they are two and half. Polar bears live for 25-30 years.

Are they in danger?

Female bears need to eat enough and grow in size before becoming pregnant. If they cannot find enough food, they cannot have babies. Loss of ice due to global warming means lesser number of animals in this region. This means less food for polar bears. If babies are not born or are born weaker, they do not survive to adulthood. This is already happening in some areas of northern Canada. There is a danger of the polar bear becoming extinct.

Simple lines.....

POLAR BEARS

1. Polar bears are huge white and furry.

2. They live around the icy north pole.

3. They eat the meat of seals and walruses.

4. Mother bears  and cubs sleep in underground caves.

5. This keeps them warm in the icy weather.

 

Public Speaking

Note for educators and parents : Describe and explain with the help of information given on this page. Help the child memorize these lines and speak in front of a camera with actions.  Young Learners may post their videos and comments here.

Those interested may send their write-up on an animal not mentioned here. (300 words max. and 3 images). Name of the contributor will be mentioned.

Email:  cqfoundation@gmail.com

wildanimals4kids.blogspot.com - Octopus

 

NATURAL WORLD : WILD ANIMAL

OCTOPUS

Eight long arms and round bulging eyes in a soft round body- that's enough to make it look like a monster! But this creature of the deep seas, combs the ocean floor and rarely ever surfaces to the top. It's typical way of attack is to swoop down on its crabs, lobsters and shrimps and swamp it with its tentacles while it pulls the prey in with its mouth. Look at the round button like suckers along its tentacles. They help it to scoop up food. It eats mainly crabs, shrimps and other animals with shells.

Tell me O Octopus, I begs

Is those things arms, or is those things legs? 
I marvel at thee Octopus
If I were thou, I'd call me us

- Ogden Nash

Are you my sweetheart?

Octopuses have not one but three hearts and one of them stops working when they swim. Three hearts also allow them to have blood that is blue because of copper. This helps them to have more oxygen when they are deep in the ocean.

Are you a genius?

With nine brains, it is a genius! Octopuses have one central brain and one mini brain for each of its eight arms. Each arm can work independently and dive into hidden places for food. Scientists found that octopuses can use tools. E,g. they collect and pile up things like shells, stones and bottle caps to build dens and shields. Only intelligent animals like apes and dolphins can do this.

Defense strategy

Camouflage - to hide in plain sight by changing the colours of its body to match the surroundings is how they avoid being seen by predators like sharks, eels, etc.

Slipping through thin cracks is easy for this animal with its soft slimy body. As it is  fast swimmer, it quickly squeezes itself through tiny spaces and gets away. 

When an octopus is attacked, it sprays out a dark blue ink which can irritate the predators eyes, allowing the octopus to escape.

In case a predator bites off an arm, it can grow it back. It can also bite with its sharp beak like mouth.

Reproduction

Male octopuses die after they deposit the sperm in the tube like structure of the female. The female then lays around 400,000 eggs and guards them with her life. She lays them under rocks or in holes and keeps blowing water over them to keep them clean and safe from predators. During this time, does not and her body slowly becomes weaker as she finally dies after the babies hatch. Baby octopods swim on the surface and swim away as they grow bigger.

OCTOPUS

1.   An octopus is a sea animal with eight arms.

2.  It has a soft body that can squeeze through holes.

3.  It eats crabs and shrimps on the ocean floor.

4.  If an arm breaks off, it will grow back.

5.  It throws blue ink to stun predators.

Public Speaking

Note for educators and parents : Describe and explain with the help of information given on this page. Help the child memorize these lines and speak in front of a camera with actions.  Young Learners may post their videos and comments here.

Those interested may send their write-up on an animal not mentioned here. (300 words max. and 3 images). Name of the contributor will be mentioned.

Email:  cqfoundation@gmail.com

wildanimals4kids.blogspot.com - Crocodile

 NATURAL WORLD : WILD ANIMALS

CROCODILE

How cheerfully he seems to grin
How neatly spreads
his claws
And welcomes little fishes in
With gently smiling jaws

- Lewis  Caroll

Crocodiles belong  to the reptile family, that means animals that have short limbs, walk with their bellies close to the ground and have scales. Their long snouts and streamlined bodies help them to swim in the water very fast. 

A crocodile is a deadly predator and lies in wait along river banks to catch animals like goats, sheep, zebra, deer, etc. Smaller crocodiles also eat fish, birds and other small animals.

 It has 80 teeth which can grow back if they are broken. The force of its bite is as strong as that of a shark. Their  eyes, ears and nostrils are on top of their heads, so that can hide under the water and watch their prey. They even have a thin third eyelid to cover the pupils while swimming underwater. their bodies are covered with thick hard scales that are grey to brown in colour. This helps them to hide in the river or land.

Difference between Crocodiles and Alligators

Alligators have shorter 'U' shaped snouts and when they close their mouth, their teeth cannot be seen. But a crocodile has a longer snout and you can see its sharp teeth even when the mouth is closed. 

In this picture, an alligator's teeth cannot be seen unlike in the picture above.

Where do they live?

Crocodiles and alligators live in warm habitats in lakes, rivers and wetlands all over the world. There are about 16 different types of crocodiles and alligators. The saltwater crocodile is the largest and the most aggressive among them. The males are bigger, about 20 feet long and weigh 1300kg.They are found in and around Southeast Asia and Australia.

Why are crocs killed?

All over the world, the luxury business is killing the crocodile. They offer money to the natives to kill crocodiles and alligators in the wild. The beautiful  skin  with various patterns and colours are used to make shoes, wallets, purses, belts, etc.
This cruel trade will stop only if people stop buying animal skin products.

Simple lines to speak...

CROCODILES

1. Crocodiles are large reptiles that live on both land and water.

2. They have long snouts with 80 teeth.

3. It is a powerful and dangerous predator.

4. It eats goats, deer, birds and other animals.

5. It lives in lakes and rivers in warm places.

6. People should not buy things made of crocodile skin.

Public Speaking

Note for educators and parents : Describe and explain with the help of information given on this page. Help the child memorize these lines and speak in front of a camera with actions.  Young Learners may post their videos and comments here.

Those interested may send their write-up on an animal not mentioned here. (300 words max. and 3 images). Name of the contributor will be mentioned.

Email:  cqfoundation@gmail.com

wildanimals4kids.blogspot.com - Dolphin

 NATURAL WORLD : WILD ANIMAL

DOLPHIN

An open toothed grin  with a 100 teeth!

 A dolphin looks as if it is always smiling. It's large mouth curves up at the ends and its eyes are low on its smooth round head. This large sea animal is related to whales and has a single blow hole on top of the head. It lives in the deep sea. Ranging from white, grey blue, black and brown in colour, its body can hold so much oxygen that it can sleep and breathe at the same time while it floats underwater. It has a dorsal fin on its back, flippers and a flexible tail. In fact the body structure is so flexible that it can turn, jump and flip very easily in the water.

Each eye moves independently and helps it to see in all directions and even underwater. They can see as well as dogs and cats when they are above water. 

Fun fact

They have the best hearing ability in the animal kingdom. How? They catch the sound through their jawbone and head. The vibrations pass to the inner ear.

Why do we think that dolphins are intelligent?

Intelligence means to be able to understand, learn things and act on them. Play is another way how intelligent animals  express themselves. Dolphins leap and jump with the waves and race each other just for fun. That is why it is so easy to train dolphins and teach them actions that humans can understand. 

Dolphins have large brains and with a part of it they can detect and hear sounds underwater. This ability is called 'echolocation'. Sounds travel faster in the water than light, so even in the deep where it is dark, dolphins can hunt for prey and communicate with each other through this ability. 

Dolphins talk to each other or communicate through clicks, whistles and squeaks. They also touch or use posture to tell each other things. They also take care of each other especially if one of them is sick or weak. In fact dolphins also  surround a swimmer if there is danger from a shark nearby.

Simple Lines... 

DOLPHINS

1. Dolphins are large grey sea animals.

2. They have smooth round heads with 100 teeth

3. A group of dolphins is called a pod.

4. It is an intelligent animal and can learn many tricks.

5. It can hold oxygen and float and sleep at the same time.

6. Dolphins have sharp hearing under the water.

Public Speaking

Note for educators and parents : Describe and explain with the help of information given on this page. Help the child memorize these lines and speak in front of a camera with actions.  Young Learners may post their videos and comments here.

Those interested may send their write-up on an animal not mentioned here. (300 words max. and 3 images). Name of the contributor will be mentioned.

Email:  cqfoundation@gmail.com

 

Wildanimals4Kids.blogspot.com: Wolf

 NATURAL WORLD : WILD ANIMAL

GRAY WOLF

Dangereous!
 
Yellow eyes narrowing in a warning, ears cocked to listen, this aggressive predator is all set for a kill. The long narrow snout and the sensitive nose indicate good hunting skills. The largest member of the dog family, there is a Big Bad Wolf in almost every fairy tale, That is because wolves live in the mountains and forests all across North America, Eurasia and Africa. Since it uses a certain level of cunning along with strength to hunt, domestic livestock are at  risk in areas where wolves live.

 

Its powerful body is covered with grey or brown fur. It has long muscular legs and a deep narrow chest ; perfectly built for moving across long distances. It can run at a speed of 37 miles per hour.Its paw is as large as an adult human hand.

 

 

Wolves howl to interact with the members of their pack for letting them know their location. They even howl to ward of rival packs and sometimes just out of affection for a family member. Since they hunt at night, it is said that wolves howl at the moon. The haunting sound carries over distances as much as 10 miles in different tones and pitches. A mix of different howls can confuse the listener into thinking there are 18-20 wolves in the dark, when there were only about 4.
 

Highly intelligent, they live in packs and mate for life. A male and a female wolf start a family adding more offspring to build a pack.They develop strong bonds with their family members and may even die to save a loved one, something rarely seen among wild animals.

To warn other packs,they mark their territories with urine and feces. This is very important for survival especially in difficult terrain and climates. Wolves are one of the most adaptable animals and can survive almost anywhere just like humans. Arctic wolves live in climates as cold as -40 degree Celsius with bitter winds and no vegetation. They build their dens in the snowy ground or caves and hunt animals like elk, caribou and moose.

So what's so special about these deadly animals?

Wolves who circle a herd of sheep, deer, goat, etc. looking for a kills, target only the sickly and weaker ones. This prevents the infection from spreading among the herd and at the same time provides food to the wolf pack. A fine ecological balance is maintained in nature due to this.

All different breeds of dogs have evolved from wolves over thousands of years.

Simple Lines to Speak ...

WOLF

1. The wolf is the largest member of the dog family.

2. They live and hunt in packs of 6 to 10 members.

3. Wolves can survive in all kinds of climates.

4. Gray wolves have dark fur while Arctic wolves are white.

5. They hunt animals with hoofs like goat, sheep and deer.

6. Wolves howl to interact with each other.

Public Speaking

Note for educators and parents : Describe and explain with the help of information given on this page. Help the child memorize these lines and speak in front of a camera with actions.  Young Learners may post their videos and comments here.

Those interested may send their write-up on an animal not mentioned here. (300 words max. and 3 images). Name of the contributor will be mentioned.

Email:  cqfoundation@gmail.com

Wildanimals4Kids.blogspot.com : Walrus

NATURAL WORLD : WILD ANIMALS

 

WALRUS

 

Who is that gentleman with the fine moustache?

The Walrus....a gentle giant that lives in the frigid waters of the Arctic. That enviable pair of tusks is unique to this pinniped (fin footed mammal). A walrus hauls itself out on rocky ice edges with the help of tusks. In addition to that, they have 16 more teeth. The body is heavy and bulky. It is covered with thick brown or pinkish wrinkly skin. There is  thin layer of small coarse hair on the skin. It uses its flippers to swim and propel itself in the water.It can rotate its hind flippers to walk on all fours on land.

How do they stay warm in sub zero temperatures?

Their bodies have a thick layer of fat called blubber under the skin that keeps them warm. Therefore, being fat is important for them to survive.

Babies are born without tusks. Their round heads have blunt noses with stiff bristles to help look for prey on the ocean bed. It weighs around 60 kg. at birth and stays with the mother for around 2 or 3 years. They can grow up to 1500 kg. when they become adults.

Since walruses live in large herds of about 100, babies learn to hunt for food. It consists of mussels, shellfish, other fish and small seals. Baby walruses are sometimes killed by polar bears for food.

Living in the coastal regions of Russia, Greenland, Canada and Alaska, they stay near the shore in shallow waters.

Saving the Walrus

Commercial hunting for their ivory tusks, meat and skin has endangered this animal. Climate change leading to reduction of sea ice and increase in tourism has also made their habitat unsafe for them.
It is now illegal to kill a walrus for commercial purpose. Only the tribes living in the Arctic may hunt one or two for survival since no vegetation grows in the ice.

Simple Lines for Speaking......

WALRUS

1. Walruses are large heavy sea animals.

2. They live in the icy Arctic regions.

3. A walrus has a moustache and tusks.

4. It eats shell fish, clams and small seals.

5. Herds of hundreds of walruses rest on shores.

6. It is illegal to kill a walrus.

Public Speaking

Note for educators and parents : Describe and explain with the help of information given on this page. Help the child memorize these lines and speak in front of a camera with actions.  Young Learners may post their videos and comments here.

Those interested may send their write-up on an animal not mentioned here. (300 words max. and 3 images). Name of the contributor will be mentioned.

Email:  cqfoundation@gmail.com