THE MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG EXPLORERS
LionCubs
2014WINNER
OF APARENTSCHOICEGOLD
AWARD
2014WINNER
OF APARENTSCHOICEGOLD
AWARD
look inside:animal cards!
March / April 2015natgeo.com/littlekids
Why do you think deer have antlers?
Male deer grow big antlers. They use their antlers to f ight each other. The winner gets to spend more time with the female deer.
ANIMALS
Why?
WHITE-TAILED DEER
D
ON
ALD
M. J
ON
ES /
MIN
DEN
PIC
TUR
ES /
CO
RB
IS
2 m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 5
P
IXEL
RO
BO
T /
DR
EAM
STIM
E (P
AIN
T SE
T);
ELE
NA
ELI
SSEE
VA /
D
REA
MST
IME
(FLO
WER
S);
SER
GEY
02
/ D
REA
MST
IME
(BO
OTS
)
Find one difference.
Find two differences.
Find three differences.
Look at each picture in the top row.Find the differences between it and the one below.
What Is Different?SORTING
n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 3
Usually buntings eat
mostly seeds. But in the spring they eat mostly
bugs.
The female is not as
colorful as the male.
A painted bunting can use spiderwebs to hold her nest
together.
A
LAN
MU
RPH
Y, B
IA /
MIN
DEN
PI
CTU
RES
(MA
LE);
B
ILL
CO
STER
/ A
RD
EA (F
EMA
LE)
MALE
Thats Cool!Meet the painted bunting.
NATURE
4 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
What in the World are These?
NAME SOME OTHER PINK THINGS.
OBOT
PINK EMONADE
IGGY BANK
UPCAKEALL ISH
LOWERS
UITAR LAMINGO
TOP
RO
W (L
EFT
TO
RIG
HT)
: S
ER
GEY
MO
STO
VO
Y /
DR
EA
MST
IME
; C
AO
HA
I / D
RE
AM
STIM
E;
AN
DI B
ER
GE
R /
DR
EA
MST
IME
. M
IDD
LE R
OW
(LE
FT T
O R
IGH
T):
WAT
UN
YO
O S
OP
ON
TAM
MA
RA
K /
DR
EA
MST
IME
; LEV
EN
TEG
YO
RI /
SH
UTT
ER
STO
CK
; D
AVIN
CI /
DR
EA
MST
IME
. B
OTT
OM
RO
W (L
EFT
TO
RIG
HT)
: SU
ZI N
ELS
ON
/ S
HU
TTE
RST
OC
K;
ISTO
CK
/ K
CLI
NE
; S
VE
TLA
NA
FO
OTE
/ D
RE
AM
STIM
E.
NAMING
n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 5
Lions are the only wild cats that live in family groups called prides.
GROWING UP IN A
LION FAMILY
ANIMALS
6 m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 5
A father lion has long hair,
called a mane, around his face
and neck.
Lions roar to tell other lions where
they are.
MANE
ROBERT MUCKLEY / GETTY IMAGES (BIG PICTURE); ANUP SHAH / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (MALE AND CUB)
n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 7
Lion cubs have many playmates in their pride.
They chase, leap, and pounce on each other.
Playing is great exercise and helps cubs
grow strong.
8 m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 5
Cubs practice hunting by sneaking up on each other.
After lots of playing, cubs enjoy snuggling with Mom for a nap.
Lions rest for about 20 hours
every day. A whole day has
24 hours.
D
ENIS
-HU
OT
/ N
ATU
RE
PIC
TUR
E LI
BR
ARY
(BIG
PIC
TUR
E, F
OU
R C
UB
S, C
UB
STA
LKIN
G);
SU
ZI E
SZTE
RH
AS
/ M
IND
EN P
ICTU
RES
(MO
THER
AN
D C
UB
)
Point to the scene in which each of these four animals lives.ANIMAL HOMES
DAN SIPPLE
MATCHING
10 M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 1 5
LION DOLPHINROBIN HONEYBEE
What colors can you name in these pictures?n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 11
Many kinds of bats have
big ears. That is how the bat- eared fox got
its name.
What huge ears these foxes have!
FOXES
ANIMALS
BAT-EARED
12 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
A bat-eared fox uses its big ears to listen for insects its favorite food.
When it hears an insect, the fox digs to find it. The fox catches its meal and chews it up.
EAT
DIG
LISTEN
C
HA
RLI
E SU
MM
ERS
/ N
ATU
RE
PIC
TUR
E LI
BR
ARY
(BIG
PIC
TUR
E);
CH
RIS
TIA
N H
EIN
RIC
H /
IM
AG
EBR
OK
ER /
PH
OTO
SHO
T (L
ISTE
NIN
G);
T
BK
MED
IA.D
E /
ALA
MY
(DIG
GIN
G);
SO
LVIN
ZA
NK
L /
NAT
UR
E PI
CTU
RE
LIB
RA
RY (E
ATIN
G)
n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 13
Bat-eared foxes are all
grown up by the time they are
about one year old.
Baby bat-eared foxes are born in a den that their parents dig in the ground.
S
UZI
ESZ
TER
HA
S /
MIN
DEN
PIC
TUR
ES (T
WO
PU
PS);
VIN
CEN
T G
RA
FHO
RST
/ M
IND
EN P
ICTU
RES
(YAW
NIN
G)
There are more than 25 kinds of foxes. Here are just a few.
FOXESMore
FENNEC FOX
EASTERN GRAY FOX
RED FOX
SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOX
n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 15 RO
LF N
USS
BA
UM
ER /
NAT
UR
E PI
CTU
RE
LIB
RARY
(GRA
Y);
KEV
IN S
CH
AFE
R /
GET
TY IM
AG
ES (K
IT);
BR
IAN
BEV
AN
/ A
RD
EA (R
ED);
T
HO
MA
S RA
BEI
L /
NAT
UR
E PI
CTU
RE
LIB
RARY
(FEN
NEC
)
RE
BE
CC
A H
ALE
/ N
GS
STA
FF (
ALL
)For more fun, find all the round objects. Then find all the ones that are animals.
Which objects have wheels?
Look!Look!Look at the pictures below. Find the same objectsin the photo at right. Circle them with your finger.
FINDING
16 m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 5
Nature
A dandelion bud grows at the top of a stem.
1 The bud opens and a flower with bright yellow petals blooms.
2
A DANDELION GROWS
18 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
The wind blows the seeds away. When they land on the ground, new dandelions will grow.
4
GROWS
After about two weeks the petals fall off. Now the dandelion looks like a round, fluffy ball. It is a ball of seeds.
3
JAMES OSMOND PHOTOGRAPHY / ALAMY (1, 2, 3); IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY (4); JON FEINGERSH / BLEND IMAGES / CORBIS (GIRL) n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 19
SPEEDYDinosaurArchaeornithomimus had long, strong legs. It could run very fast.
Some kinds of dinosaurs ate both meat and plants. Animals that eat both are called omnivores.
This speedy runner was an omnivore. It ate fruit, leaves, eggs, and small animals.
SAY MY NAME: AHR-kee-or-NI-thoh-MIME-us
Paleontology
ART
BY
FRA
NC
O T
EMPE
STA
FACTSFOOD
SIZE
Meat and plants
This shows how big Archaeornithomimus was.
5-YEAR-OLD
20 m a r c h / a p r i l 2 0 1 5
This dinosaur had no teeth.
FROM THE PAGES OF
How many trucks do you count?
TRUCKS on the Move
Count the number of wheels you see on each truck.
COUNTING
22 M a r c h / A p r i l 2 0 1 5
RO
B W
ILSO
N /
SH
UTT
ER
STO
CK
(FIR
E T
RU
CK
); B
AM
BU
H /
SH
UTT
ER
STO
CK
(BLU
E M
IXIN
G T
RU
CK
); D
AR
IO L
O P
RE
STI /
SH
UTT
ER
STO
CK
(B
LAC
K T
RU
CK
); IG
OR
MA
RX
/ S
HU
TTE
RST
OC
K (O
RA
NG
E T
RU
CK
); V
ER
ESH
CH
AG
IN D
MIT
RY /
SH
UTT
ER
STO
CK
(GR
EE
N T
RU
CK
)
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NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS, Issue 49, March / April 2015
(ISSN 1934-8363), is published bimonthly by the National Geographic Society, 1145 17th Street N.W.,
Washington, DC 20036-4688. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to
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n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 23
wild cardswild cards
EUROPEAN WILDCAT
COPYRIGHT 2015 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
wild cardswild cards
KONSTANTIN MIKHAILOV / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
FUN FACTsThis kind of cat doesnt live with
people. Its wild. Wildcats are born in spring. The moms usually
have three to six kittens at a time.
European wildcat
wild cardswild cards
RING-TAILED LEMUR
wild cardswild cards
NICK GARBUTT / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
FUN FACTsThe ring-tailed lemur lives in
Madagascar, an island country in Africa. These animals clean their
fur by combing it with their teeth.
ring-tailed lemur
wild cardswild cards
REGAL ANGELFISH
wild cardswild cards
GEORGETTE DOUWMA / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
FUN FACTsRegal angelfish swim in tropical ocean waters. They often travel
in pairs. The fish snack on sponges, a kind of sea animal.
regal angelfish
wild cardswild cards
BANDED DEMOISELLE
wild cardswild cards
DANNY LAPS / MINDEN PICTURES
FUN FACTsThe banded demoiselle is an
insect. It has a long, thin body. Adults hunt other insects as
they fly through the air.
banded demoiselle
wil
d c
ard
sw
ild
ca
rds
GEN
TOO
PEN
GU
IN
YVA MOMATIUK & JOHN EASTCOTT / MINDEN PICTURES
FUN FACTsA gentoo penguin lives in and
around the ocean. The bird dives into the water to find food. It can
dive 450 times in one day.
gentoo penguin
wil
d c
ard
sw
ild
ca
rds
red-
neck
ed p
adem
elon
DU
CK-
BIL
LED
PLA
TYPU
S
DAVE WATTS / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY
FUN FACTsThe platypus is a mammal.
Only two kinds of mammals lay eggs. The platypus
is one of them.
duck-billed platypus
E
MA
NU
ELE
BIG
GI /
FLP
A /
MIN
DEN
PIC
TUR
ES (F
RO
G);
S
UZI
ESZ
TER
HA
S /
ALL
RIG
HTS
RES
ERV
ED (C
OV
ER)
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Hide-and-SeekCan you find the mossy frog in this picture?
GAME