NAT GEO LITTLE KIDS

THE MAGAZINE FOR YOUNG EXPLORERS look inside: animal cards! White 2016 winner PCAHRoOEfNIACTES’ GOLD AWARD January / February 2017 natgeolittlekids.com

Why?animals VAL DUNCAN / KENEBEC IMAGES / ALAMY (BIG PICTURE); ALL CANADA PHOTOS / ALAMY (SMALL PICTURE) martens sleep under snow Martens dig a tunnel from the top of 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. © KARENR / DREAMSTIME (SNOWMAN); LUKAS GOJDA / Find one Find two Find three SHUTTERSTOCK (CAT); IVONNE WIERINK / SHUTTERSTOCK (CAT difference. differences. differences. TOY); DIETER HAWLAN / SHUTTERSTOCK (FLOWERS) 3n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

NATURE That’s Cool! Meet the red-eyed tree frog. Red-eyed tree frogs live in trees in the rain forest. Suction cups These frogs © MARTIN VAN LOKVEN / NIS / MINDEN PICTURES (BIG FOOT on the frog’s are about as PICTURE); © INGO ARNDT / MINDEN PICTURES (FOOT) long as your feet help it stick to leaves and pointing branches. 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. WHAT TOYS ARE IN YOUR BEDROOM? —TUFFED ANIMAL —AMP —HAIR NAMING —INDOW —OOKS —RESSER What in theWorld AreThese? 5n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c —ILLOW —ED —LANKET

Frionztehen Sea 6 January / february 2017 BRIAN J. SKERRY / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (BIG PICTURE); © DAVID KUHN / 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. 7n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

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

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 DOG LADYBUG Which two animals live in water? 10 J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

SPOTS CATERPILLAR PUFFERFISH TIGER ZEBRA SNAKE ISSELEE / DREAMSTIME (DOG); SERG_DIBROVA / SHUTTERSTOCK (ANGELFISH); WILLEECOLE PHOTOG / n at i o n a l geographic 11 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)

ANIMALS SNEAKY SPINES PRAYING MANTIS Is it a leaf ? A stick? No, it is a praying mantis. Spines on the long front legs help it grab and hold food. 12 J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

This insect eats EYE f lies, grasshoppers, spiders, and other bugs.To catch its food, the praying mantis pretends to be a plant. Big eyes help a praying mantis see movement. Praying 1 3n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c mantises help people by eating insects that destroy our garden plants. PAUL HARCOURT DAVIES / MINDEN PICTURES (BIG PICTURE); CORBIS DOCUMENTARY / GETTY IMAGES (EYES)

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 close enough, the BUG praying mantis snatches it.Time for lunch. Crunch. 14 J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY (YELLOW FLOWER); © STEPHEN DALTON / MINDEN PICTURES (EATING BUG); GHOST MANTIS GEORGE GRALL / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (HOODED); ZSSD / MINDEN PICTURES (GHOST); CSP_CATHYKEIFER / AGE FOTOSTOCK (DEVIL’S FLOWER); THOMAS MARENT / MINDEN PICTURES (ORCHID) DEVIL’S FLOWER MANTIS There are over OTHER 2,000 kinds of praying mantises. PRAYING Here are a few. MANTISES ORCHID MANTIS HOODED MANTIS 15

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 J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

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 1 7n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c (SNAIL); © FEATHERCOLLECTOR / DREAMSTIME (SEA STAR); © DAVE BREDESON / DREAMSTIME (MOON); MILES BOYER / SHUTTERSTOCK (EGGS)

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 j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

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); 1 9n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c ERIC ISSELEE / SHUTTERSTOCK (BABY ON ROPE)

Anatomy CHEETAH! Cheetahs hunt and eat gazelles, impalas, birds, and hares. Here are a few things that help cheetahs chase and catch food. Its long, The strong tail helps cheetah’s long legs take the cheetah big, fast stay balanced as strides. it makes quick Cheetahs turns. usually hunt in the daytime. 20 J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

Spotted fur Cheetahs Its eyes helps a cheetah are the fastest can see blend in with tall animals on land. movement grass as it waits They can run from far for its food to as fast as a car away. can drive on a come closer. Large highway. nostrils take in lots of air as it runs. Strong The cheetah claws grip the trips its food ground as it with its front runs, like spikes on the bottom paws. CLAWS of baseball shoes. © NHPA / NHPA / SUPERSTOCK (BIG PICTURE); © CHRIS HARVEY / ARDEA / AGE FOTOSTOCK (CLAWS) 21n a t i o n a l g e o g r a p h i c

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 j a n u a r y / f e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7

KENNETH LIBBRECHT / SCIENCE SOURCE (PURPLE-RED SNOWFLAKE, ORANGE-RED SNOWFLAKE, MULTICOLORED SPIKY SNOWFLAKE, 12-POINT SNOWFLAKE); KICHIGIN / Executive Vice President, Kids and Family SHUTTERSTOCK (SPIKY WHITE SNOWFLAKE); DESIGN PICS INC / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CREATIVE (YELLOW-WHITE SNOWFLAKE); ANDREY NEKRASOV / ALAMY (COVER) Melina Gerosa Bellows 23 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 Editorial Ruth A. Musgrave, Contributing Writer; Rose Davidson, Assistant Editor Photo Shannon Hibberd, Senior Photo Editor; 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— PEFC/29-31-58—Please recycle.

FISHER wild cards 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

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