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Six tons of pure power whacks an ice floe floating in cold Arctic waters. The seal lying on top of the ice doesn’t stand a chance. Knocked into the sea, the seal becomes a meal for one of the ocean’s top predators—the huge orca, or killer whale. Orcas hunt everything from fish to walruses, seals, sea lions, penguins, squid, sea turtles, sharks, and even other kinds of whales. Depending on the season and where they are, their diet varies—some orcas eat more fishes and squid than seals and penguins. But wherever they are in any of the world’s oceans, average-sized orcas may eat about 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of food a day. Orcas have many hunting techniques, and bumping seals off ice is just one of them. Often referred to as wolves of the sea, orcas live and hunt together in cooperative pods, or family groups, much like a pack of wolves. They work together as they hunt. Groups of orcas cooperate to herd fish into a compact area so that they’re easier to eat. They will also slap their tails onto the water’s surface, causing a wave to wash prey, such as penguins or sea lions, off ice floes and into the water. Sometimes a pod of whales will join forces to surround a larger animal, such as a blue whale. They chase, bite, and wear it down until it becomes a meal. Orcas‘ teeth, numbering about 45 and each measuring about 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) long, are shaped for ripping and tearing prey. Orcas do not chew their food. They can swallow small seals and sea lions whole. The prey slides down the orcas‘ throats! Bigger prey is eaten in chunks. The color pattern of orcas may help them sneak up on and attack their prey. Their backs are black, their stomachs are white. Animals looking down on an orca from above, such as a seal on an ice floe, might not see it because the whale’s dark back blends with the water below. On the other hand, the whale’s white underside blends with the light streaming down into the sea from the surface, making it hard to spot from below. With orcas camouflaged so well, those prey fish, penguins, or seals are likely to miss the danger heading their way, as the killer whale once again proves it is the oceans‘ superbly designed hunter.
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Get the inside scoop on how these brown bears pack on the pounds to prepare for winter, and see before-and-after pictures of fat bears!
signal critters from deer to birds to bears that it’s time to gather food and find

their senses of sound and smell, using their long ears and snouts to get around and find
their senses of sound and smell, using their long ears and snouts to get around and find

the rest of the mob forages for food, one or more meerkats, called a sentry, will find
the rest of the mob forages for food, one or more meerkats, called a sentry, will find

Not far from the North Pole, the world is frozen for thousands of miles. Suddenly a snowy mound wiggles and reveals two dark eyes. The lump is transformed into the furry white body of a lone arctic fox. The canine casually shakes the blanket of snow off her thick coat—the key to her survival. But warm fur alone might not keep this fox alive during the polar winter, when temperatures rarely get above zero degrees Fahrenheit. Until spring arrives, this arctic fox will rely on some freeze-defying strategies, making it a champion of the cold.
rodents called lemmings, but when times are tough they’ll eat whatever they can find

The sun sets over a quiet backyard garden. A red fox sneaks into the yard, its nose in the air, sniffing loudly—it smells something. It pads over to the bushes when a streak of brown flashes in the greenery. An eastern cottontail rabbit darts out of the bushes, zigging and zagging to throw the surprised fox off of its trail. The speedy rabbit zooms into the nearby woods, easily escaping the potential predator.
Rabbit videos Pearly Whites Find out why a rabbit, lobster, shark, and dinosaur

Some species of cicada live as long as 17 years, though most of the time is spent underground. There are two groups of cicadas: annual cicadas and periodical cicadas.
(Find out about the 2024 cicada emergence at Nat Geo.)

Christmas Island red crabs are famous throughout Australia and the world for their bright red color and for their spectacular annual migration to the sea. Millions of crabs become rivers of red as they move from the island’s interior rainforests to the ocean to breed and lay eggs. During migration, red crabs climb over and around obstacles in their way, following the same migration paths every year. Christmas Island red crabs live on Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean off Australia’s northern coast, about 240 miles (380 kilometers) south of Java, Indonesia. Red crabs must keep their bodies moist, so they wait for the rainy season to provide conditions that are ideal for the difficult journey. A single female can lay up to 100,000 eggs.
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Hedgehogs have prickly spines everywhere except on their face, legs, and bellies. By curling into a tight ball and tucking in their heads, tail, and legs, they protect the parts of their bodies that do not have stiff, sharp spines. Often compared to pincushions, hedgehogs depend on their spines for defense—both while they sleep and when they face enemies. The head and body of adult hedgehogs range from 5 to 12 inches (13 to 30 centimeters) long and their tail can add 1 to 2 inches (3-5 centimeters). When hedgehogs are born—up to seven in a litter—their spines are soft and short. Soon after birth, their spines harden, becoming stiffer, sharper, and longer. Babies stay in the nest until they’re about three weeks old. By that time, their eyes are open, their spines are effective, and they can safely follow their mother outside the nest as she looks for food. Top on the hedgehog’s menu are insects, followed by small mice, snails, lizards, frogs, eggs, and even snakes. Hedgehogs sometimes add extra protection to their spines by „self-anointing.“ Immune to poisons in some plants, hedgehogs sometimes eat those plants and then make a frothy saliva in their mouths. The hedgehogs then lick their spines, spreading the saliva with the plant’s poison all over the spikes. Though hedgehogs mainly stay on the ground, they swim quite well and even climb trees.
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This 4-inch-long (10-centimeter-long) fish shares an amazing partnership with another sea creature: the anemone (pronounced: uh-NEM-uh-NEE). The partnership benefits both participants, and the close relationship led to the fish being named an anemonefish. Anemones have tentacles that sting, but the clownfish isn’t bothered by them. In fact, it lives among the tentacles. Living among the tentacles of the anemone, the clown anemonefish gains protection from predators—which don’t dare get near the stinging protector. The anemonefish also gets to eat leftovers from the anemone’s meals. The anemone benefits from having the fish around, too. The useful fish nibbles away parasites that bug the anemone. And sometimes the anemonefish brings food into the tentacles which the anemone can also eat. Generally several anemonefish make one host anemone their home.
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