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