EASY READ The animal kingdom

Animals are living things that can move about and must eat food to survive. This food may be plants, other animals, or both. Some animals are bigger than houses, while others are...

EASY READ How do fish live?

Fish live under water nearly all the time. They do not breathe air. Instead, they use their gills to take in oxygen from the water around them. Fish have fins and tails, and many...

EASY READ A to Z of fish families

EASY READ What do sharks feed on?

There are more than 350 different kinds of shark. Some, such as the great white, are fierce predators. They hunt turtles and seals as well as other fish and squid. Whale sharks and...

EASY READ A to Z of marine invertebrates

The oceans are home to a wide range of invertebrate animals. Unlike fish, mammals or reptiles, for example, these animals do not have backbones. They include crustaceans, such as...

EASY READ What are amphibians?

Frogs, toads, salamanders and newts are all amphibians. Most amphibians have smooth, moist skin and live in or close to water. They hatch from eggs laid in water. They breathe and...

EASY READ What are reptiles?

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals with scaly skins. Land-living reptiles must bask in the sun to warm up before going in search of food. They usually lay eggs, although some snakes...

EASY READ A to Z of reptiles

EASY READ How do crocodiles live?

Crocodiles and alligators are powerful predators. They will attack and eat other large animals—including humans. All these fierce reptiles have long, scaly bodies with thick...

EASY READ How do birds live?

Birds are the only animals that have feathers. They have an inner layer of short, soft feathers called down. These are covered by long, smooth feathers, which also make up their...

EASY READ A to Z of bird families

EASY READ What are mammals?

Mammals are warm-blooded animals. They feed their newborn young with milk and protect them from danger during the earliest part of their lives. Most mammals develop inside the...

EASY READ What are marsupials?

Like other kinds of mammals, marsupials give birth to live young. But a newborn marsupial is hardly developed at all. The tiny creature clings to its mother’s body or is carried...

EASY READ Why is the platypus so unusual?

The platypus belongs to a small group of mammals known as monotremes. They are the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young, as marsupials and placentals...

EASY READ A to Z of carnivorous mammals

The carnivores include a number of mammal families: cats, dogs, bears, civets, hyenas, weasels, raccoons and mongooses. Most are meat-eaters, but some feed on insects and fruit...

EASY READ A to Z of herbivorous mammals

Herbivores are animals that eat only plants. Many herbivores have hooves instead of claws on their feet. This gives them speed to escape from danger. They are called ungulates...

EASY READ How do elephants live?

Elephants are the largest land animals. They have large ears and long, bendy trunks and two, long curved tusks. They are intelligent animals and may live for more than 60 years...

EASY READ A to Z of insect-eating mammals

These insect-eating mammals are not necessarily related. They all eat insects or other invertebrates such as worms and slugs. Some also feed on seeds, leaves, fruits and nuts...

EASY READ How do bats live?

Bats are the only mammals that can fly. There are hundreds of different kinds of bat, divided into two groups: the flying foxes (or fruit bats) and the microbats. Bats live...

EASY READ How do whales and dolphins live?

Whales, dolphins and porpoises make up a group of mammals called cetaceans. These animals live in the waters of the oceans all the time. They have no hair or fur on their bodies...

EASY READ A to Z of marine mammals

EASY READ A to Z of primates

Lemurs, apes and monkeys, along with humans, belong to the group of mammals known as primates. Most primates are good tree-climbers. They have forward-facing eyes and large brains...

EASY READ A to Z of rodents

Rodents make up a very large group of mammals. They are usually small animals with short legs. Rodents have many young at once. They also reproduce extremely quickly. Most kinds of...

EASY READ How do rabbits and hares live?

Rabbits and hares are similar to rodents. They have soft, furry bodies. They have four pairs of front teeth, one pair behind the other. Like those of rodents, they grow throughout...

EASY READ Why are many animals endangered?

Animals sometimes go extinct naturally. Since humans appeared on Earth, however, many more animals have gone extinct. In recent years, extinctions are happening much more...

EASY READ Animal kingdom glossary