A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER Z

Zebra Shark

 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• The young of this species have stripes which is why they are called "zebra" sharks, but adults of this species have spots which is why they are also known as "leopard" sharks.
• They can grow to as long as 11 1/2 feet and can weigh up to 66 pounds.
• They prefer to live in shallow tropical waters with plenty of places like coral reefs to hide and rest.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER Y

Yellow-eyed Sturgeon

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• There is 26 known species with the average length is 7-12 feet long.
• The lake sturgeon is considered a living fossil because it has survived, unchanged, for more than 150 million years.
• Their diet consists primarily of crustaceans and small fish.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER X

Xenocongrid Eel

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They tend to live in shallow tropical and subtropical seas.
• There are only 14 known species of xenocongrid eels in the world.
• They are often called false moral eels because of the similarity in physical features between the two species.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER W

Wobbegong Shark

 
The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• Wobbogong means "shaggy beard" in the Australian Aborigine language.
• They are mostly found in the shallow waters around Australia and Indonesia.
• They can use their bottom fins to "walk" across the ocean floor as they travel from one area to another.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER V

Vampire Squid

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• If threatened, they are able to turn themselves inside out.
• Instead of ink like other squids, they secrete mucus that glow in the dark for up to 10 minutes to confuse their attackers.
• They only have to eat a few times a week.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER U

Unicorn Fish

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They feed on the algae growing on shallow coral reefs found in the tropics.
• This fish is easily identifiable by the bony horn on its forehead, found on most species.
• It does not use its horn for defense but uses its sharp tail spikes to defeat predators.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER T

Toadfish

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• It has a scaleless, flattened body that grows up to about 12 inches long.
• It lives in shoal water all along the east coast of North America from Cuba to Maine.
• They get their name from the croaking "singing" males will do to attract females.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER S

 Sea Cucumber

 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• There are over 1250 species of sea cucumber found all over the world.
• Depending on the species, they can be red, black, blue, green, or brown in color.
• Most species live between 5 and 10 years in the wild.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER R

 Ribbon Worm

 
The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They are believed to be the longest living animal, sometimes growing up to 197 feet long.
• Their bodies are covered in slime to prevent their skin from drying out and to assist in sliding between rocks.
• Most ribbon worms are poisonous to eat.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER Q

Queensland Grouper

 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They can live up to 50 years old which is old for a fish.
• They are the largest reef-dwelling fish in the world, growing up to 8 feet long and weighing up to 660 pounds.
• Their powerful jaws can open and close so quickly the movement can't be seen by the human eye.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER P

 Portuguese Man-of-War

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• Their tentacles with the stinging cells can grow up to 165 feet long.
• They usually are found in the warm waters around Hawaii or Australia.
• They are often found floating on the ocean surface in groups of up to 1000 or more at a time.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER O

 Oarfish

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They are the longest known species of bony fish, growing up to 56 feet in length.
• This rarely seen fish is thought to be the inspiration of the "sea serpent" tales from history.
•  Japanese folklore believe if too many oarfish are seen in a short time then an earthquake is about to occur.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER N

 Narwhal

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• It's tusk is actually a tooth and can grow up to 10 feet long.
• There are no living narwhals held in captivity.
• They are mid-size whales living in the cold waters of the Artic Circle.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER M

 Marlin

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They are incredibly fast swimmers and can reach speeds of up to 60 miles per hour.
• Females can be up to 4 times larger than males with a length of up to 14 ft and weighing up to 2000 pounds.
• Males live on average 18 years while females can live up to 27 years in the wild.

KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER L

 Leafy Sea Dragon

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They use their tubular mouths as straws to slurp their food.
• They are fragile creatures and can rarely survive in captivity.
• The male leafy sea dragon is the one to carry the eggs until they are born.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER K

Krait

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• It's a high poisonous snake native to Asia.
• It feeds on eels, fish, rodents, frogs, lizards, and other snakes.
• They are able to survive in the sea and on land while most other species of snakes must live in water OR on land, but not both.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER J

Japanese Spider Crab

 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• Their leg span can be up to 14 feet in width and they can weigh up to 41 pounds.
• It is orange in color with white spots on its legs.
• It's one of the longest living animals in the world and can live up to 100 years in the wild.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER I

 Indo-Pacific Sailfish

 
The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They are usually blue to grey in color and have a long, pointy bill.
• They can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds as adults.
• They will hunt in groups, using their large sail fins to create a wall that their prey can not get around.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER H

 

Hagfish 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They can go months without eating any food.
• While eating their prey, they will tie their tails into knots to help increase the force of their bites.
• They are jawless and boneless, having a skull made out of cartilage .

KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER G

Ghost Crab

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• It has large black eyes, supported on stalks, to help it see in all directions.
• Their strong, hairy legs helps it to run at speeds up to 10 miles per hour which makes it the fastest among all crustaceans.
• They hibernate in the sand during the winter.

 KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER F

 Foxface Fish

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean....

• They have a long fox-like snout that can be used to reach into cracks or crevices in search of food.
• There is a poisonous spine in their dorsal fins that can be used against predators.
• They are active algae eaters and can be found mainly on the Great Barrier Reef.

KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER E

 Elephant Seal

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• The elephant seal spends more than 80% of it's life in the ocean.
• It can hold its breath for more than 100 minutes while under water.
• An elephant seal's favorite food include stingrays, octopuses, squids, penguins, eels, and small sharks.

KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox

A TO Z CHALLENGE: LETTER D

  Dragonfish

 

The world is filled with fascinating animals...on land, in the air, and under the sea. This A to Z challenge, hosted by the KICKS KIDS CLUB (where parents, teachers, and librarians find FREE resources supporting children's character development), will introduce kids to some of the more interesting creatures found in the deep blue ocean...

• They can produce their own infrared light to help hunting food.
• The male dragonfish has no teeth.
• It's the only known creature to have chlorophyll in its eyes which is only found in plants.

KICKS Kids Club

www.Facebook.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Pinterest.com/KICKSkidsclub

www.Twitter.com/TKDSouthKnox