THE MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG EXPLORERS look inside:

animal cards!

2016
16
winn er
of A
PAREN T
CHOICES’

White GOLD
AWARDD

January / February 2017

natgeolittlekids.com
animals

Why?
martens sleep
under snow

VAL DUNCAN / KENEBEC IMAGES / ALAMY (BIG PICTURE);

Martens dig a tunnel from the top of ALL CANADA PHOTOS / ALAMY (SMALL PICTURE)

the snow down to the ground. They

snooze on the soil, where heat from
the ground keeps them warm.

2 January / February 2017

 SORTING

What Is Different?
Look at each picture in the top row.
Find the differences between it and the one below.
SHUTTERSTOCK (CAT); IVONNE WIERINK / SHUTTERSTOCK (CAT
© KARENR / DREAMSTIME (SNOWMAN); LUKAS GOJDA /

TOY); DIETER HAWLAN / SHUTTERSTOCK (FLOWERS)

Find one Find two Find three

difference. differences. differences.
n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 3
 NATURE

That’s Cool!
Meet the
red-eyed tree frog.

Red-eyed
tree frogs live
in trees in the
rain forest.

Suction cups
FOOT on the frog’s
feet help it stick
© MARTIN VAN LOKVEN / NIS / MINDEN PICTURES (BIG
PICTURE); © INGO ARNDT / MINDEN PICTURES (FOOT)

to leaves and These frogs

branches. are about as
long as your
pointing
finger.
4 January / February 2017
 TOP ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): PETER DAZELEY / GETTY IMAGES; DANA HOFF / UPPERCUT IMAGES / GETTY IMAGES; KEN WELSH / STOCK
IMAGE / GETTY IMAGES. MIDDLE ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): IAN LOGAN / GETTY IMAGES; MARK THIESSEN / NG STAFF; © MOUSE IN THE HOUSE /
ALAMY. BOTTOM ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): REBECCA HALE / NG STAFF; FUSE / GETTY IMAGES; DORLING KINDERSLEY / GETTY IMAGES.

—AMP
—HAIR
NAMING

—TUFFED ANIMAL
—OOKS

—INDOW
—RESSER

—ED

—ILLOW

WHAT TOYS ARE IN YOUR BEDROOM?

—LANKET

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c
What in theWorld AreThese?

5
 in the
Frozen Sea

BRIAN J. SKERRY / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (BIG PICTURE); © DAVID KUHN /

6 January / february 2017 DWIGHT KUHN PHOTOGRAPHY (BLOWHOLE); VICGMYR / SHUTTERSTOCK (ICICLES)
is so cold that ice covers the

belugas warm in the icy water.

Belugas swim to
the surface to
breathe air. When
the sea is frozen, a
beluga must f ind a
hole in the ice to
get to the surface.
BLOWHOLE

A whale
breathes through
an opening on
its head called
a blowhole.

n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 7
 are gray. They swim close to
their mothers.
BABY

MOTHER

Beluga
whales are also
called white
whales.

Belugas make
sounds as they
hunt and play.
They chirp, tweet,
and even moo!
8 January / february 2017
 Beluga
whales eat fish,
crabs, and
sandworms.

Belugas use their squishy faces

and big lips to “talk” without
words. It’s like how you smile or
frown to show your feelings.

ROLAND SIETRE / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (BABY); MICHAEL NICHOLS / NATIONAL

GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (CLOSE-UP); WATERFRAME / ALAMY (WITH SNOW); HIROYA
MINAKUCHI / MINDEN PICTURES (THREE WHALES); VICGMYR / SHUTTERSTOCK (ICICLES) n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 9
 findING

STRIPES AND
Point to all the striped animals. How many
did you find? Four animals have spots.
Can you find them all?

ANGELFISH

DEER

LADYBUG
DOG

Which two animals live in water?

10 January / February 2017

SPOTS CATERPILLAR

TIGER

PUFFERFIS
SH

ZEBRA

SNAKE

ISSELEE / DREAMSTIME (DOG); SERG_DIBROVA / SHUTTERSTOCK (ANGELFISH); WILLEECOLE PHOTOG /

SHUTTERSTOCK (DEER); POTAPOV ALEXANDER / SHUTTERSTOCK (LADYBUG); NICK BIEMANS / DREAMSTIME
(TIGER); GEORGE GRALL / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (SNAKE); DML231 / DREAMSTIME
(CATERPILLAR); VLADIMIR WRANGEL / SHUTTERSTOCK (PUFFERFISH); PRAPASS / SHUTTERSTOCK (ZEBRA) n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 11
 ANIMALS

SNEAKY
PRAYING
MANTIS
Is it a leaf ? A
stick? No, it is a
praying mantis.
Spines
on the long
front legs help
it grab and SPINES
hold food.

12 January / February 2017

 This insect eats
f lies, grasshoppers,
spiders, and other
bugs. To catch its EYE

food, the praying

mantis pretends
to be a plant.

Big eyes
help a praying
mantis see
movement.

Praying
mantises help
people by eating
insects that
destroy our
garden plants.

PAUL HARCOURT DAVIES / MINDEN PICTURES (BIG PICTURE);

CORBIS DOCUMENTARY / GETTY IMAGES (EYES) n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 13
First, the praying
mantis holds its legs
and body just right,
so that it looks like
part of the plant.
Then it stays still
and waits.
Unlike
other insects,
a praying mantis
can turn its
head from side
to side.

When a bug gets

BUG
close enough, the
praying mantis
snatches it. Time
for lunch. Crunch.
14 January / February 2017
IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY (YELLOW FLOWER); © STEPHEN DALTON / MINDEN PICTURES (EATING BUG);
GEORGE GRALL / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (HOODED); ZSSD / MINDEN PICTURES (GHOST);
CSP_CATHYKEIFER / AGE FOTOSTOCK (DEVIL’S FLOWER); THOMAS MARENT / MINDEN PICTURES (ORCHID)

GHOST MANTIS
OTHER
PRAYING

DEVIL’S FLOWER MANTIS

MANTISES
2,000 kinds of
There are over

Here are a few.

ORCHID MANTIS
praying mantises.

15
HOODED MANTIS
 SORTING

FUN SHAPES IN
Trace each shape with your finger. Draw a line with
your finger from each shape to the same shape
found in nature.
LEAF

Circle

SEA STAR
Spiral

16 January / February 2017

NATU E Heart

Oval
SNAIL

BIRD EGGS

Star
MOON

What shapes do you see where you are right now?

© ALEX HYDE / MINDEN PICTURES (LEAF); STUDIO ARAMINTA / SHUTTERSTOCK

(SNAIL); © FEATHERCOLLECTOR / DREAMSTIME (SEA STAR); © DAVE BREDESON /
DREAMSTIME (MOON); MILES BOYER / SHUTTERSTOCK (EGGS) n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 17
 Nature

AN ORANGUTAN
2
The orangutan
uses its hands
to bend, twist,
and weave the
leafy branches
into a nest.
BABY

HAND

1
Orangutans
sleep in nests
high in trees.
An orangutan
builds a new
nest every day.

18 january / february 2017

BUILDS A NEST
3
When the
nest is strong,
the orangutan
piles leaves
on top to
make it soft.

4
Now the
bed is ready.
The baby
orangutan
climbs in to
sleep with
Mom.

SUZI ESZTERHAS / MINDEN PICTURES (1); © SUZI ESZTERHAS (2, 3, 4);

ERIC ISSELEE / SHUTTERSTOCK (BABY ON ROPE) n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 19
 Anatomy

CHEETAH!
Cheetahs hunt and eat gazelles,
impalas, birds, and hares. Here are a
few things that help cheetahs chase
and catch food.

The
cheetah’s
long legs take
big, fast
Its long, strides.
strong tail helps
the cheetah
stay balanced as Cheetahs
it makes quick usually hunt in
turns. the daytime.

20 January / February 2017

 Spotted fur
helps a cheetah
blend in with tall
grass as it waits Its eyes
for its food to can see
come closer. Cheetahs movement
are the fastest from far
animals on land. away.
They can run
as fast as a car
can drive on a Large
highway. nostrils take
in lots of air
as it runs.

The cheetah
Strong trips its food
claws grip the with its front
ground as it paws.
runs, like spikes
on the bottom
CLAWS of baseball
shoes.
© NHPA / NHPA / SUPERSTOCK (BIG PICTURE);
© CHRIS HARVEY / ARDEA / AGE FOTOSTOCK (CLAWS) n at i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c 21
 matching

MATCH THE
Draw a line with your finger from each
big snowflake to the smaller snowflake
it looks like.

How many snowflakes do you count?

22 january / february 2017
 Executive Vice President, Kids and Family
Melina Gerosa Bellows
Vice President, Content
Jennifer Emmett
Editor-in-Chief and Vice President,
Kids Magazines & Digital
Rachel Buchholz
Executive Editor
Marfé Ferguson Delano
Vice President, Visual Identity
Eva Absher-Schantz
Design Director, Magazines
Eileen O’Tousa-Crowson

ditorial Ruth A. Musgrave, Contributing Writer;

Ed
Rose Davidson, Assistant Editor

SHUTTERSTOCK (SPIKY WHITE SNOWFLAKE); DESIGN PICS INC / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (YELLOW-WHITE SNOWFLAKE); ANDREY NEKRASOV / ALAMY (COVER)
Photo Shannon Hibberd, Senior Photo Editor;

KENNETH LIBBRECHT / SCIENCE SOURCE (PURPLE-RED SNOWFLAKE, ORANGE-RED SNOWFLAKE, MULTICOLORED SPIKY SNOWFLAKE, 12-POINT SNOWFLAKE); KICHIGIN /
Hilary Andrews, Associate Photo Editor
Art Dawn McFadin, Contributing Designer
Production Sean Philpotts, Director
Digital Laura Goertzel, Director;
Natalie Jones, Senior Product Manager;
Tirzah Weiskotten, Video Manager

International Magazine Publishing

Yulia Petrossian Boyle, Senior Vice President;
Jennifer Jones, Business Manager;
Rossana Stella, Editorial Manager
Manufacturing
Phillip L. Schlosser, Senior Vice President,
Production Services; Gregory Storer, Director;
Rebekah Cain, Imaging
Finance Margaret Schmidt, Vice President, Business and
Finance; Jeannette Swain, Senior Budget Manager;
Tammi Colleary, Rights Manager;
Pinar Taskin, Contracts Manager;
Kurt Massé, Rights Clearance Specialist
Consumer and Member Marketing
Elizabeth Safford, Senior Vice President;
John MacKethan, Vice President,
Retail Sales and Special Editions;
Mark Viola, Circulation Director;
Richard J. Brown, New Business Director
Market Services
Tracy Hamilton Stone, Research Manager
Publicity
Caitlin Holbrook, Publicist (202) 857-5882

PUBLISHED BY
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS, LLC
Chief Executive Officer Declan Moore
Chairman of the Board of Directors Gary E. Knell
Editorial Director Susan Goldberg

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS,

Issue 60, January / February 2017
(ISSN 1934-8363), is published bimonthly by
National Geographic Partners, LLC, 1145 17th Street N.W.,
Washington, DC 20036-4688.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS, P.O. Box 62136, Tampa, FL
33662-2136. If the Postal Service alerts NGP that your magazine is
undeliverable, NGP has no further obligation unless it receives
a corrected address within two years.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: United States, $18; Canada, $24.95;
elsewhere, $28, all U.S. funds. In Canada, Agreement number
40063649, return undeliverable Canadian addresses to
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS,
P.O. Box 4412 STA A, Toronto, Ontario M5W 3W2.

Parents:
Follow us on Twitter @NGKids
and like us on Facebook.

PRINTED ON 100% PEFC-CERTIFIED PAPER—

23 PEFC/29-31-58—Please recycle.
 wild cards

FISHER
COPYRIGHT © 2017 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS, LLC
 fisher

FUN FACTs
Fishers are in the weasel family.
They live in the woods and are
very good at climbing trees.

© LISA AND MIKE HUSAR / TEAM HUSAR

wild cards

AMERICAN TOAD
 American
toad
FUN FACTs
An American toad is a bit smaller
than this card. Where winters
are cold, the toad burrows under-
ground and sleeps until spring.

© NIALL BENVIE / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

wild cards

HERMIT CRAB
 hermit crab

FUN FACTs
This kind of hermit crab lives in
the sea. It lives inside holes in
hard coral on the ocean floor.

© CHRIS NEWBERT / MINDEN PICTURES

wild cards

YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER
yellow-rumped
warbler
FUN FACTs
This colorful little bird can
catch insects in midair using its
beak. It also eats berries.

© TOM & PAT LEESON / KIMBALLSTOCK

wild cards

SOUTH AMERICAN GRAY FOX

South American
gray fox
FUN FACTs
Both the mother and father gray
fox help take care of their babies.
By the time a young fox is a year
old, it can take care of itself.

© FREYA PRATT / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY

wild cards

BISON
 bison
FUN FACTs
A bison, often called a buffalo,
is the heaviest land animal in
the United States. It is related
to cows and sheep.

© FRANCOIS GOHIER / ARDEA

OBSERVATION

Critter Corner
What do you think this bear is doing?

A. eating a fish B. sitting on ice C. cleaning its room DESIGN PICS INC / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE

Answer: B

Subscribe to NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS!

Call TOLL FREE: 1 (800) 647-5463 TDD: 1 (800) 548-9797
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m.- Midnight ET, Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m. ET
natgeo.com/littlekids/subscribe
Copyright © 2016 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS
without written permission is prohibited. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS and Yellow Border: Registered Trademarks ® Marcas Registradas. Printed in the U.S.A.