Animal magic
Published
Children have some funny ideas when it comes to the animal kingdom. A study by Kinder Surprise found that more than 1 in 10 think a puma is a trainer, and a quarter think a spectacled owl gets its name because it has brilliant eyesight and doesn’t need specs.
There’s also confusion about clownfishes, with 1 in 5 kids thinking they get their name because they look ‘funny’. And surprisingly, 1 in 3 children believe that dragons are real! Most parents say this misconception comes from watching popular fantasy films.
Top misconceptions are:
- Dragons are real (30 per cent).
- Spectacled owls have brilliant eyesight and don’t need glasses (28 per cent).
- Porcupines and hedgehogs are the same thing (26 per cent).
- Anteaters only eats ants (25 per cent).
- A puma is a trainer (13 per cent).
- Snakes are huge worms (11 per cent).
- Grasshoppers are made of grass (8 per cent).
- Bears only eat marmalade sandwiches (8 per cent).
Despite this, more than half the children in the survey say they love watching shows and films, and reading books, with animals in them.
Kinder Surprise are launching an Animal Adventures range featuring 21 exotic animals from South America, which comes complete with fun interactive features designed to help children learn about each animal.
