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Earth Facts for Children
Introductions for Earth Stories: 1 to 10
Sea Turtles
One of the oldest surviving species on earth, the sea turtle has many interesting habits. The most interesting being its tendency to come back to the same nesting site, again and again. Read on ...
The Truth about Zoos
They may have been set up with lofty aims, but conditions in Indian zoos mirror that of a badly run state orphanage. The solution here, too, seems to be to adopt an animal. Read on ...
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Tree Rings tell many Tales
By looking closely at the rings of a tree, scientists can not only tell how old it is; they can also tell you the state of the planet during its lifetime. Read on ...
No Dalmatians Please
When the movie 101 Dalmatians hit the screen, thousands of people went and picked up these loveable puppies as pets. But many were unable to keep to their commitment of maintaining a pet. Now the sequel, 102 Dalmatians, is attracting flak from animal-protection groups to prevent another rash of Dalmatian buying. Read on ...
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Great White Sharks Heading for Extinction
Found in every ocean of the world, the great white shark is feared as a man-eater. These misunderstood creatures have been commercially hunted so ruthlessly that they now face the threat of extinction. Read on ...
Rhinos: On the Comeback Trail
The rhino population has been systematically decimated by poachers who kill the animal for its horn. Thanks to conservation efforts in Africa and India, the rhino population is showing some signs of recovery. Read on ...
Mosquito Menace
So you want to avoid those irritatingly itchy, even dangerous, mosquito bites? Wipe off that sweat and beware of the female of the species. Read on ...
The Secrets of the Ocean Floor
Mt. Everest is not the tallest mountain in the world. It is actually Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Find out how... Read on ...
Venice is Sinking
Yes, the city famous for its spectacular waterways is sinking and sinking fast. Global climate changes are leading to a sharp rise in the region's water levels. Read on ...
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High-tech Turtle
Jikko must be one of the luckiest turtles in the world. Badly injured in an accident in Thailand, it got a brand new fibre-glass shell. Read on ...
Pollution - an old ancestral legacy
Think of pollution and images of chimneys, smoke and industrial waste flash across your mind. A recent scientific study suggests that pollution is as old as mankind itself. Read on ...
Himalayas Impact Global Climate
The Himalayas are not only the highest mountain chain in the world they also have a profound effect on the world climate. The Gobi and the Mongolian deserts are courtesy the Himalaya. Read on ...
A Library for Bacteria
Detection of bacterial strains that reside in the human guts in coastal waters can be used as a method of tracing the source of water pollution. Read on ...
Penguin Sweaters
Oil spills are quite common and have disastrous results. Here's a new method of saving penguins from oil spills. Read on ...
The Cool Firefly
Fireflies are not flies but beetles. They send out light signals every now and then. But, unlike our bulbs which produce light and heat, their light is cool. And if you see them at night on a tree, you might think it is a brightly lit Christmas tree. Read on ...
The Fish Which Changes From Female to Male
There is a fish called the blackspot angelfish. When the male fish of the group dies, the largest female fish starts changing in appearance. At the end of it she becomes a male... Read on ...
Stinking Plants
Some flowers like to smell like rotting meat. They do it to trick insects. Read on ...
King of Fruits
Indians have been biting into juicy mangoes for 3,000 years. But the western world came to know about it only 300 years ago! Read on ...
Smelling Food with the Tongue
Snakes do not have a nose for the good things of life. Only a tongue. Read on ...
Scales for Safety
Fish are thick skinned. They don't get hurt when they brush against jagged rocks. Read on ...
We are Only 10 Seconds Old
How old is the history of human existence as compared to the history of earth? One simple way of understanding this would be to compare it to the 12 hours of a clock. Read on ...
Music-loving Plants and Music-giving Plants
It is a known fact that plants respond to soothing music. Now scientists say that the molecular structure of proteins found in plants can be used to create music! Read on ...
A Fish with Three Hearts!
Said to be a 'royal' among sea animals, because it has blue blood, the cuttlefish has three hearts. More important, it is not a fish. What is it... Read on ...
Global Warming: Melting kingdom of the Polar Bear
Trapped carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is turning the Polar Bear's frozen home into a floating death trap. Amateur documentary filmmaker Ashok Vaish gives an exclusive first person account of how global warming is threatening the Arctic Polar Bear... Read on ...
A New Camel Specie Discovered
Recently scientists discovered what they think is a new species of wild camel in a remote part of China. These mammals look very similar to the two-humped Bactrian camel but they have a unique feature - they survive by drinking salty water! Read on ...
It's a Zoo Out There!
Zoos are places where people can study wildlife. Zoos also breed endangered animals with a future possibility of reintroducing them in the wild. In fact, zoos are perhaps the only place now to see some of the endangered wildlife! Read on ...
Treaty on Global Warming
Planet earth may finally heave a sigh of relief. Even as tempers flared up, countries from all over the world recently signed an agreement to help check the hotting up of our planet. Read on ...
Dropping Trees from the Sky
The sky may not fall on your head, but trees might. A company known for its aircraft, believes that planes used to lay landmines in conflict zones can be used to plant trees... Read on ...
The Earth takes a Battering
Millions of meteorites strike the Earth's atmosphere every day. And, say scientists, their devastating impact can be felt on the planet's environment for a long time to come. Read on ...
Special Animal Dads
Most insects, fish, amphibians and reptiles are often reared by their mothers. But there are some animal fathers who are great dads too. Read on ...
Mystery of the Missing Monkey
A monkey species has become extinct within 70 years of being discovered! Miss Waldron's Red Colobus monkey has become extinct. If strict measures are not taken, other species may join the list, too. Read on ...
Roach Sense
Cockroaches have been on earth for 300 million years. They have survived the Ice Age, earthquakes, floods, cyclones, and other disasters, including humans. How do they sense danger? Read on ...
The Whale Hunt is On
Japanese officials say that the aim of their two-month mission is to study whales but environmentalists insist that Japan's actual purpose is to have a whale of a time by hunting the endangered mammal. Read on ...
Can You Speak Dolphin Language
Scientists discover that groups of whales and dolphins living far apart develop their own 'dialect' of whistles and clicks. Read on ...
The Plastic Menace
Plastic bags clog up drains and gutters causing flooding. Recently Mumbai city imposed a ban on plastic bags. Can we do away with plastic bags completely and is there an alternative? Read on ...
Chimp Traits
Chimpanzees are very clever apes. They use rocks to break open nuts and sticks to dig up insects. Recently scientists spotted chimps mashing their food. How unusual is this behaviour and what does it mean? Read on ...
Guardians of the Environment
Mangrove belts that grow in tropical coastlines have a vital role in preserving the balance in the environment. But human greed may be responsible for destroying them. Read on ...
Dangerous Red Tide in HongKong
A reddish brown algae is proving to be fatal for fish swimming on the HongKong coastline. Authorities are very worried as the algae could be dangerous for humans too. Read on ...
The Baby Current Which Destroys
The period between November 1997 and November 1998 was the hottest year recorded on earth. Weather experts feel the global warming was caused by El Nino, a water current in the Pacific Ocean. Read on ...
Bird that Walks on Water
The stormy petrel is named after St. Peter because it looks like it is walking on water, much like the saint is said to have done. Read on ...
Fatal Attraction
Moths mistake the warmth of a flame as that of a female moth and rush towards their death. Read on ...
Fooling Enemies and How!
Some change colours to merge with surroundings, some swell up like balloons. Others bite, sting or squirt yucky liquid... Read on ...
Antlers: A Deer Story
Deer get a fresh pair of antlers every year much like trees who get new leaves every spring. Read on ...
The Magical Rainforest
Imagine a forest where the trees touch the sky. The trees are huge and have thick leaves -- so thick that they form a thick curtain and do not allow even sunlight to pass through. Read on ...
Amazing Facts
Every year, the average Briton uses 10,000 gallons of water, 500 per cent more than the average Indian.... Read on ...
Mother and Child in the Animal Kingdom
In a group of 100 piglets, the Mama pig has no problems picking out her child. Have you ever wondered how she does it? Read on ...
Insect which Swims on Its Back
Did you know that there is a bug that swims on its back, much like a lazy swimmer who floats and paddles a little to keep afloat? Read on ...
Killing a Tree Softly
The next time you cut a circle around a tree with a knife or carve your name on it, think twice. You may hurt or kill the tree without meaning to do so... Read on ...
Fish That Live in the Desert
The lungfish bury themselves in the wet mud, where they can live for months. Specially, if they go deep underground... Read on ...
The Gardener Bird
This designer bird makes a house and then builds a garden around it. It even paints its house.... Read on ...
Birds Which Eat Their Feathers
The grebes don't use their feathers to build nests. They eat them instead. And they have a good reason to do that. Read on ...
Mudskipper
The fish actually looks like it was cursed by a fairy to turn into a frog and the curse stopped working half way! Read on ...
The Mysterious Case of the Neem Tree
For thousands of years, the Neem tree has been used for its medicinal purposes in India. Some years ago, an American company said that it had sole right over the tree... Read on ...
The Fruit which Became a Vegetable
There was a time when people thought the tomato was poisonous. Read on ...
The Bespectacled Bear
It has neither a long sight nor a short sight problem. But, it wears glasses. Read on ...
Inverted Life
Sloths spend most of their lives in an upside down position. Read on ...
Different Colours of Honey
Have you ever wondered why different bottles of honey have different colours when they are all made by bees? Read on ...
Till Divorce do us Part
A bird called Kentish plover has a remarkable social life. It is known to separate from its partner immediately after the eggs have hatched. This is done to build more nests in the same season. Read on ...
Tale of the Woolly Mammoth
This is the story of an animal which lived 20,000 years ago. It looked like an African elephant but was twice its size. The remnants of such animals which lived long ago have led scientists to understand the history of life on earth. Read on ...
Is New York Burning?
In this city, people consume about 500 million kilowatt hours of energy per square kilometre every year. This is almost half of the total amount of solar energy falling on such an area in a year... Read on ...
Is the Earth a Sitting Duck?
What would you do if you discovered that a huge rock from outer space is going to hit the earth soon? Read on ...
The Straightened Leaning Tower
After being off limits for 11 years, the Leaning Tower of Pisa will be opened to the public on November 2001. Read on ...
The Elephant Mother
The long memory of female elephants is responsible for the long term survival of their families. Read on ...
The Earthworm's Good Turn
These wriggly creatures have been decomposing waste and enriching the soil for thousands of years. Now many countries have realised their worth as a cheap, eco-friendly option in the war against garbage - even India. Read on ...
Screen Saver That Saves
A Screen Saver developed by United Devices and Intel allows you to participate in a worldwide project to find a cure for cancer. Read on ...
The Earth Is Getting Dimmer
Sunlight reflected by earth reaches the moon, which in turn reflects some of it back to earth. This is called earthshine. Scientists are now using this reflected light as a thermometer to check the earth's temperature. Read on ...
Marine Militants
Ballast tanks are necessary for cargo ships to balance their weights when not carrying cargo. These tanks carry water of one sea to another and also several organisms with it. The organisms may spell doom on reaching foreign waters. Read on ...
The Amazing Vetiver Grass
Popularly known as 'khus', the roots of this grass are well known for their cooling fragrance. But this ‘fireproof’ and ‘animal-proof’ grass is also important for preventing erosion as it holds the soil in place. Read on ...
The Art of Deception
The duel between a predator and its prey is one of the most interesting aspects of the animal kingdom. If you can't be seen, you can't be attacked seems to be the philosophy. Atleast for some. Read on ...
Everything is made of Something
There are more visible stars than there are grains of sand on a beach. But each grain of sand has more atoms than the stars visible. Sand or stars, the building blocks are the same. Read on ...
An Organism that is visible from Space
Corals are colonies of tiny sea animals. Several corals colonies together are called reefs. The Great Barrier Reef is bigger than the United Kingdom. Read on ...
Man's Best Friend
For centuries the dog has been man's best friend. But how did man discover this friend and what is its ancestry? Read on ...
An Octopus as Jar-opener
Little has been known about octopuses. But now, scientists in Britain are conducting fascinating experiments to test the octopuses' intelligence and memory. Read on ...
Web Magic
Spiders build webs for a variety of reasons, from protecting their eggs to trapping their prey. Some use it as a trap line while others reel in their victims, like anglers reeling in their catch of fish. Read on ...
River Horses
The third largest land animal, the hippopotamus is more related to whales and dolphins than to hoofed animals. Looking like a bloated pig, this herbivorous animal is found in lakes, rivers and streams in central and North Africa. Read on ...
Pelican Trouble
Migratory pelicans come to Andhra Pradesh in India during the harsh winters to mate and nest. However, this year, 75 pelican chicks were lost in a cyclone that ravaged the coastal state. Read on ...
Paris is bugged!
People in Paris, France, are terrified that their wood walls might collapse as the city has been invaded by termites. These small insects live in colonies and eat up paper and wood, causing major problems to the city's residents. Read on ...
Birds Sing in their Sleep
Birds, like humans, communicate through songs, squawks, and chirps. Birds store a song after hearing it, then rehearse it later in their sleep. Read on ...
Tongue in Cheek
A chameleon's tongue can flick out at its prey faster than you can blink an eye. The prey sticks on, not because its tongue is sticky, but because of suction. Read on ...
Squirrelling it Away
Squirrels often stash away nuts in holes of trees or under the ground as a stand-by measure during winter months when food becomes scarce. However, they sometimes forget where they have stored the nuts and these forgotten nuts later grow into trees! Read on ...
Eye fly!
All animals choose their mates through courtship. However, houseflies have it made. They have a special "love spot" in their eye which helps them zero in on potential female flies. Read on ...
High-tech Migration
Migratory birds can fly halfway around the world to reach their winter 'hot spot'. But many birds fall prey to predators and exhaustion. Now, scientists are experimenting with a plane to see if they can lead endangered cranes by the beak. Read on ...
Fragile Creature of the Sea
Jellyfish are shy creatures of the sea. They are very fragile, consisting of 95 per cent water. Yet, a sudden influx of these creatures in the Gulf of Mexico is worrying scientists. Read on ...
Tail Language
Why do dogs and cats speak with their tails. Read on ...
Onion Tears
Why do we cry when cutting onions? Read on ...
Cat Doctor
When your cat or dog has an upset stomach, it goes into the garden hunting for medicines. Read on ...
Deadly Jelly
The sea wasp is so poisonous that brushing against even one of its tentacles can prove to be fatal. Read on ...
Mr Fly Rubs his Hands in Glee
Have you seen a housefly rub its hands in glee? As if it were celebrating the successful completion of a mission -- of contaminating your food. Read on ...
Blood Weapon
Some lizards in North America and Mexico, spray blood from their eyes when they feel threatened. Read on ...
A Nest in the Mouth
Some fish do not use their mouth only for eating. They create a nest in it. Read on ...
Clean Habits!
Racoons always wash their food before eating it. Only, they don't mind if the water is dirty! Read on ...
No Centuries in Life
Centipede means a creature with a hundred feet. But, not a single centipede on earth can boast of hundred feet. Read on ...
The House of Ice
People who live in ice houses don't worry about the melt down. Read on ...
The Banana Story
Don't let a banana tree's size fool you. It is actually not a tree. Read on ...
Chatterbox Fish
If you thought fish were dumb, you are dumber. Actually, they have quite a few aces up their fins. Read on ...
When the Ant and Snake Forecast Rain
Farmers in southwest Rajasthan have found local wisdom more useful than the Meteorological Department's predictions. Read on ...
The Bamboo is also Grass
Unbelievable but true!. Bamboo can grow 41 centimetres in one day. Humans eat it, make knives, bows, flutes, buckets and houses out of them. Read on ...
Looking at the World Upside Down
Bats are like trapeze artists when they are sleeping. Read on ...
Flying Frog
Not all frogs are jumping jacks. Some of them are quite graceful. They glide and swoop down on their prey. Read on ...
Whose River?
The story of a small village where the villagers transformed dry land into a forest. Soon, a river emerged near the forest. And, the villagers were very proud of it. Until, one day... Read on ...
Many Homes on Earth
As an Earth Day( April 22) special we bring you a photo feature. It shows how all creatures great and small have made a home for themselves on this planet -- some real some imagined. Read on ...
An Earth Day Fable
On the occasion of Earth Day yesterday, well known anthropologist asked the question if all recycling is good? Especially of plastic. Read on ...
Footprints on Earth
The amount of resources we use are like footprints. They show whose lifestyles are a burden on the earth and whose aren't. Read on ...
How Green is Your School?
Here's a little check-list from the New Delhi-based children's newspaper 'Gobar Times', to rate your school's concern for the environment. Read on ...
The Vultures are Dying
Till some time ago, there was a 2000-strong vulture population in the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Now there are just four. Read on ...
The Tree is an Invisible Heater
Without leaves the tree looks so cold and dry, but surprise of surprises, it keeps the grass below warm. Read on ...
The Song of the Bird
Like humans, birds too can sing. Read on ...
Ocean that Becomes a Giant Wall
Three villages were washed away by an ocean wave that was more like a giant wall of water. Read on ...
Seasons In a Tree’s Rooted Life
You may think the orange tree in your garden is shorter than you but that is only one part of the tree you see. Many a time a trees roots may be longer than the height it achieves above ground. It is through these roots that trees live out the seasons. Read on ...
A Duck’s Life: In Water But Not Wet
When you get out of the swimming pool or bathtub, you are soaking wet. Had you been a duck, you would be swimming in water and yet not look really wet. It sounds crazy, but it’s true. Read on ...
The End of Living – The Beginning of Survival
In 1854, the Government of United States made an offer for a large area of Indian Land and promised a ‘reservation’ for the Indian People. Chief Seattle's reply is a most beautiful and profound statement on environment.. Read on ...
A Beautiful Ship in the Sky
In the last forty years, we have planted nuclear weapons -- more than a thousand of them -- enough to destroy the Earth more than fifty times. Have we all gone mad? Gauhar Raza's beautifully written and illustrated book for youngsters takes a hard look at our beautiful ship, and what we've done to it. Read on ...
The Exotic Peacock
One of the most beautiful birds in the world and a native of the Indian sub-continent, the peacock became the national bird of India in 1963. Belonging to the pheasant family, it is prized for its colourful plumes and eggs. Read on ...
Black Widow
shiny black in colour with a reddish hourglass shaped abdomen, the female black widows are poisonous spiders. They are named so because the females commonly eat their mates after mating and hence are often widows. Read on ...
The Deadly King Cobra
It has a head as big as a man's hand and can stand tall enough to look you straight in the eye. Its venom can stun your nervous system and stop your breathing. Find out more about the revered king cobra Read on ...
Tornadoes
If you ever happen to see a dark greenish sky with a wall cloud, large hail and a loud roar akin to that of a freight train, just scoot, as it could be a twister. Read on ...
The Hot and Sizzling Volcano
The term volcano originates from the little island of Vulcano in the Mediterranean sea off Sicily. Centuries ago, the people living in the area believed that Vulcano was the chimney of the forge of Vulcan – the blacksmiths of Roman gods... Read on ...
The Tiny World of Ants
All ant colonies are female societies. The ant world is basically a mother and daughter universe. The male ants or drones exist only to mate with the queen and die soon after fertilisation. Learn more about the diverse world of ants. Read on ...
The Truth About Bats
Did you know that the Bumblebee bat is the smallest mammal on earth and weighs less than a penny; that Vampire bats are benevolent creatures. They adopt orphans and share food with the less-fortunate ones. Find out more about the much-maligned bats. Read on ...
The Dark Kingdom of Uranus
Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun, is a dark planet. It is so remote from the sun that daylight there approximates a total solar eclipse on Earth. The distance from the sun also makes Uranus unimaginably cold. Let's discover the dark kingdom. Read on ...
Fox
They live by their wits and are survivors in the true sense. Human beings are their enemy and yet they prefer to stay close to them. Meet the enigmatic fox.... Read on ...
The Wonderful World of Insects
Did you know that many insects can see in more than one direction without turning their heads? Read on ...
So Many Monkeys!
Monkeys and apes are primates, so are we. Learn more about squirrel monkey, langur, baboon, spider monkey, mandrill, colobus monkey and so on. See for yourself... Read on ...
Anacondas
They are about 25 feet long and live for 50 years, and they are not venomous. They squeeze their prey until they suffocate and die! Meet our friend, the handsome Anaconda ... Read on ...
It's a Beetle's World!
Meet some of our amazing beetle friends. Yes, they may be small and inconspicuous, but not less important than any other living creature. They are truly the rulers of this planet! Read on ...
Everything has a History
"It is clear that bees can tell each other not merely that they have found food, but where they have found it...", says J.B. S. Haldane. Excerpts from yet another amazing book by Haldane... Read on ...
In A Minute
One minute, means 60 seconds -- that's a long time! A lot of things can happen in just a minute. See for yourself... Read on ...
My Life - The Tale of a Butterfly
Butterflies are insects loved very much by children. Their wings are colourful and soft. The butterfly, whose life cycle has been framed here is known as Danaus Plexippus. Generally a butterfly takes 28-29 days to complete its life cycle on mild-weed plants. Read on ...
Mutual Aid Societies
Everywhere in Nature, the small, weak and apparently helpless manage to survive... But there are more spectacular cases among fish and other sea creatures. Read on ...
Who’s Who at the Zoo
Each animal is special; none too stupid or ugly, says the author. Out of 24 animal friends talked of, in this amazing book by Ruskin Bond, we have reproduced some for you. Read on ...
The World of Trees
Walk among the hanging roots and branches of the big banyan, and through a thick grove of giant mango trees. While you sit on the steps of a temple here, sharing with a farmer his mid-day chapati, you can see in a distance the beautiful leaves of the peepal shimmering in the breeze... Read on ...
Fiction for Children
Stories, folktales, poems, book reviews and more for children... Fiction for children
Daily Quotes for Kids
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw
