Animal Facts for Under-5s
Thanks to Taronga Conservation Society Australia, here are 10 fun animal facts to share with your early learner.
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
Little kids looooove animals, and if you’re keen to feed your pre-schooler’s mind and kickstart their interest in wildlife conservation, then read on!
Taronga Conservation Society Australia does lots of amazing work to support our furry, feathered and scaly friends, and to help with their fundraising and education efforts, this not-for-profit has just released two gorgeous board books for under-fives.
Taronga: What Do Baby Animals Do? and Taronga: Crocodile Snap! have been expertly written for early learners, which means there are wild words, silly sounds, spot-able patterns and brilliant pictures on every page.
And let’s not forget the facts!
Both books are packed with fun animal facts, to foster a connection with the natural world; and to get your pre-schooler in the swing of things, here are 10 tidbits you can share with them before devouring the books and planning your visit to Taronga Zoo, or somewhere equally wild!
Wow your child with these 10 amazing animal facts
1. Frogs drink water through their skin! They soak up water through their tummies and legs.
2. Platypuses are as old as the dinosaurs. A fossil shows they were around 122 million years ago, when triceratops, velociraptors and tyrannosaurus rexes were roaming the Earth!
3. Octopuses have nine brains, and each arm can move on its own.
4. Crocodiles can’t poke out their tongues. This is because their tongue is attached to the roof of their mouth.
5. Red Kangaroos can jump over an adult human! They can leap over two metres high and travel seven metres in one jump, which is longer than most playground swing sets.
6. A turtle’s shell is part of its body and has over 50 bones, including its spine and ribs.
7. Giraffes are the tallest land animals. Their necks are very long and are even longer than their legs!
8. Dingoes are a type of dog, but they rarely bark. Instead, they growl, howl or snort to talk to each other.
9. Cheetahs are the fastest land animals. They can run up to 103 kilometres per hour, which is faster than a lot of cars!
10. Seals are related to bears. Their ancestors were bear-like animals that hunted in the water.
You’ll find more fun facts in the Taronga board books, and it’s good to know that there are two more titles coming in March.
Taronga: Animal Opposites at the Zoo and Taronga: We’re Going to the Zoo will build on your pre-schooler's animal IQ, and if your little one isn’t so little, they’ll find tons of animal facts in Taronga Big Book of Animals.
There’s definitely a lot to learn, and whether your family supports Taronga Conservation Society Australia by buying a book, doing a donation, or visiting the zoo, it’s definitely wise to help conserve our wonderful, wonderful wildlife.
