Food
Carnivore
Nautiluses eat shrimp, fish and crabs.
Meat eater
HomeAnimals A–ZLetter NNautilus
Nautilus Facts for Kids: N Is for Nautilus
A nautilus lives inside a swirly shell with lots of little rooms. It moves by squirting out water, a bit like a jet. Here are easy nautilus facts for kids: what nautiluses eat, how big they grow, what a baby nautilus is called and where nautiluses live. Read them out loud, try the quiz, then color the letter N.
Mollusktype
Carnivorediet
Hatchlingbaby name
Fun facts
Fun Facts About Nautiluses
Two more true facts about the nautilus that kids love. Tap the button to hear the name, then read each fact together.
Nn
Say “Nautilus”
Nautilus starts with the letter N. Clap once for each part of the word as you say it.
1
Did you know?
A nautilus has up to 90 tentacles.
2
One more fact
It floats up and down by filling shell chambers with gas.
Act it outMove like a nautilus for ten seconds.
Spot the letterFind the letter N in “Nautilus”.
Ask a questionWhat would a nautilus eat for breakfast?
Quick facts
Nautilus Facts at a Glance
Everything a curious kid wants to know about the nautilus, in eight short cards.
Size
How big?
A nautilus is about 20 cm (8 in) across.
Body sizeLife
How long?
Nautiluses live for about 20 years.
LifespanBaby
Hatchling
A baby nautilus is called a hatchling.
Baby nameGroup
Group
A group of nautiluses is called a group.
Group nameHabitat
Ocean
Nautiluses are found in deep reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Where they liveAnimal type
Mollusk
A nautilus lives inside a swirly shell with lots of little rooms. It moves by squirting out water, a bit like a jet.
Nautilus is a molluskLetter
N is for nautilus
Nautilus has 8 letters and starts with N.
Say: Nautilus
Quick quiz
Nautilus Quiz for Kids
A tiny game to check what stuck. Read the question out loud and let your little one tap the answer.
Question 1
Score: 0
Free download
Free printable
Nautilus Coloring Page: Letter N Worksheet
Done reading about the nautilus? Print the free letter N sheet, say “N is for nautilus” together and color the big letters. Great for circle time, morning work or a quiet afternoon at home.
1
Download the PDFOne click, no sign-up or email
2
Print at home or schoolFits US Letter and A4 paper
3
Color and traceBig letters and dotted tracing lines
Uppercase NLowercase nTracing practiceFind the N animals
Download Free PDF
3 pages, black & white
Questions
All FAQs
Nautilus Questions Kids Ask
Nautiluses eat shrimp, fish and crabs. That makes the nautilus a carnivore, which means it is a meat eater.
A nautilus is about 20 cm (8 in) across.
Nautiluses live for about 20 years.
A baby nautilus is called a hatchling.
A group of nautiluses is called a group.
Nautiluses live in deep reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Their favorite habitat is: ocean.
Yes. The nautilus is a mollusk. A nautilus lives inside a swirly shell with lots of little rooms. It moves by squirting out water, a bit like a jet.
Nautilus starts with the letter N. Say it slowly and listen for the N sound at the start.
Keep exploring
All N animals
More Animals Like the Nautilus
Other N animals and more mollusks to read about next.
Mammal
Narwhals are whales that live in icy Arctic waters. The long spiral tusk is really a tooth that grows out through the lip.
Lives in: Arctic Read narwhal factsAmphibian
Newts are small salamanders that live part of their lives in water and part on land. They can regrow a lost leg or tail.
Lives in: Wetlands Read newt factsMollusk
A snail carries its shell on its back like a little house. It glides along on a trail of slime that helps it move.
Lives in: Gardens Read snail factsMollusk
A quahog is a hard-shelled clam that lives buried in the sand along the Atlantic coast. It sucks in water through a tube and filters out tiny bits of food.
Lives in: Ocean Read quahog facts