Animals Nonfiction

Ducks have important roles to play out on the farm. Listeners learn all about a duck’s physical features, diet, life cycle, and what life is like on the farm.

Even though a Shih Tzu is about the size of a basketball, they are very proud. Learn more about this regal breed, and if owning a Shih Tzu is right for you.

Donkeys have important roles to play out on the farm. Listeners learn all about a donkey’s physical features, diet, life cycle, and what life is like on the farm.

Tweet! Tweet! Birds make fun pets. Some are small, and some are tall. Some are colorful, and some have crests. Young listeners will learn about the appearance, behavior, and abilities of pet birds and discover why these feathered friends make amazing pets.

Cheetahs run faster than any other land animal. These quick cats could keep up with freeway traffic. They sneak up on prey and pounce! Get more facts about these fierce hunters.

Did you know food scraps you throw away help plants and vegetables grow? Scavengers, animals who eat our food scraps, and decomposers: bacteria, fungi, and insects break the food down into soil. They eat some and put the rest into the soil we use for planting and gardening. Can you guess which animals and bugs make the best decomposers? What are scientists learning about decomposers?

Who is the first to show up to a forest fire? It's not firefighters—it's the Charcoal beetles! Looking for a place to lay their eggs, they search for the hottest parts of the fire in order to use the burnt trees. Learn how these beetles can sense fires and why fires are their ideal breeding grounds. Find out why scientists want to study these unusual bugs in order to help society!

Have you ever heard of an invertebrate that spends its whole life inside another animal? What about a beetle that spends most of its life underground? Young listeners will learn all about lancet flukes, Hercules beetles, and other invertebrates with unusual life cycles.

It’s good to be a queen bee! The queen bee lets the other bees in the hive feed and care for her. What does she do? She lays eggs! A queen bee can lay more than 1,000 eggs a day! Learn all about the social structure inside a bee hive and the important role the queen and the female worker bees play.

Kangaroos don’t run. They hop! Discover what else these animals do in the desert.

Every February second, people all across the country wonder about the groundhog Punxsutawney Phil. Will he see his shadow on that day, or won't he? Will spring come early or late? Gail Gibbons' clear, simple wording presents information about Groundhog Day, its origins, and the animal at the center of this delightful annual event. Gibbons teaches kids about the homes and habits of groundhogs while explaining the history behind the superstitions and fun customs of the yearly celebration.

Alan loves animals, but the great cat house at the Bronx Zoo makes him sad. Why are they all alone in empty cages? Are they being punished? More than anything, he wants to be their champion--their voice--but he stutters uncontrollably. Except when he talks to animals... Then he is fluent. Follow the life of the man Time Magazine calls, "the Indiana Jones of wildlife conservation" as he searches for his voice and fulfills a promise to speak for animals, and people, who cannot speak for themselves.

Tyrannosaurus was the fiercest meat-eating dinosaur. It was “king of the tyrant lizards,” with 50 sharp, jagged teeth!

Scientists are not quite sure what colors the dinosaurs were. They can only guess that the dinosaurs may have been colored to match their surroundings, just as most animals are today.

Stegosaurus means “roofed lizard.” This plant-eating dinosaur was about the size of a school bus and had two rows of bony plates along its back.

Los loros no solo imitan el habla humana. Estas coloridas y pícaras aves suelen aparearse de por vida y algunas llegan a vivir más de 90 años. Aprende más sobre estas inteligentes aves.

At the height of his show career, this beautiful Appaloosa's majestic stature, strength, and willingness to work made him the perfect partner. But when an injury cost Joey his show career, he moved from one owner to the next, ultimately experiencing severe abuse and neglect. A rescue group found Joey nearly dead from starvation - and blind. Then he came to Hope Reins - a ranch dedicated to helping hurting kids who had been abused, emotionally wounded, or unwanted.

What makes fish great swimmers–and how do they breathe underwater? Different animals use their body in different ways to take in air, food, and water. Learn how fish use gills to take in oxygen from water, much like humans use lungs to breathe in oxygen from the air. Whales, dolphins and sea turtles come up for breath–are they fish? In ocean life, guess which fish have gills and which are not fish!

Big bodies. Razor-sharp teeth. Crushing jaws. Great white sharks are some of the most feared sharks. Some people say they seek out people as food. But this is a myth. Attacks on people are very rare. Some people say great whites live only in warm waters. This is a myth too! You can’t believe everything you hear! Listeners will bust more myths about these top ocean predators.

Peek! A baby prairie dog looks out of its underground burrow. Beginning listeners will discover why burrows make good homes for growing baby rabbits, meerkats, and other adorable animals.