Animals (junior)

Animal facts

Here are some great websites with information on all sorts of animals.

DK Find Out!

This website has some really cool pictures and facts about animals.

• Select the Animals and Nature box.
• Find information on the Animal Kingdom, food chains, animals like deer, and even pet care.

Tips: Websites that have .com or .co in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the company’s mission and values are.

Britannica School Primary

This is one of the EPIC resources. They are put together especially for New Zealand students and have really good information on all sorts of topics. You might need a password from your school library to access it.

• Look down the page to find Animal Kingdom.
• It has animal groups like amphibians and reptiles and fish.

Elementry (Gale in Context)

This is another of the EPIC databases with information on lots of topics.

• Go to Animals and then choose the group of animals you are looking for, like Pets and Farm animals.
• Each article has lots of information and facts on animals like cats, dogs, cows and sheep.

Tips: To get to the EPIC resources you will need a password from your school librarian first. Or you can chat with one of our AnyQuestions librarians between 1 and 6pm Monday to Friday and they will help you online. Some EPIC databases may also be available through your public library.

Wild animals

These websites have lots of facts and information about wild animals.

National Geographic kids

This site has lots of facts about animals and other topics in science, history and geography.

• Go to Discover at the top of the page and then select Animals.
• You will find lots to choose from like 10 great gorilla facts and rhino facts.

San Diego Zoo

This site has information on most wild animals or groups of animals in the world.

• Select Animals at the top of the page and then select the animal you would like to know about like the African Spurred Tortoise or Brown Bear.
• Go to Habitats to find which animals live in a desert, or Region to find which animals live in Africa.

Tips: Websites that have .org or .net in the address can have good information, but you need to assess how reliable it is. Check the About us link on the website, if you can find one. That can tell you what the organisation’s mission and values are.

New Zealand animals

If you are looking for information on New Zealand animals or animals that are native to New Zealand try these sites.

New Zealand Birds and Animals

This is part of a series of factsheets put together by Christchurch City Libraries.

• Select the animal you would like to know about like Black Robin or Frogs.
• There is some great information on New Zealand animals here.

Tips: Many web pages have links to further information or to other recommended sites. Following these links is a great way to find out more. This searching method is called “pearl growing” because you are picking up pieces of sand to make a beautiful pearl!

Te Ara The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Te Ara is an excellent starting point for all questions about New Zealand Aotearoa.

• Enter an animal name in the search box at the top of the page, like Kakapo.
• Look for The Bush section to find information on native birds and animals.

Tips: If we go down to the bottom of the page we can see that the website belongs to the Ministry for Culture & Heritage, so the information is well-researched and reliable.

Books

There are lots of books about different types of animals. Check out your local public or school library to see what they have.

Here are some titles are to help you begin your search:

• Little kids first big book of baby animals by Maya Myers
• Animals by Sean Callery and Miranda Smith
• Nerdlet : animals by Tamara J Resler
• Odd animals by Rose M Davidson.

SCIS no: 1832460