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Chimp Traits
Do you think chimps are chumps? If the answer is yes, then you are in for a surprise – because chimps or chimpanzees are actually very, very intelligent. Chimpanzees are the most intelligent of the ape family. It was known that chimpanzees use tools intelligently to obtain food. They use rocks to crack open nuts or use sticks to dig the earth for choice insects and termites. Once a chimpanzee learns a certain method he/she teaches it on to all the other chimps in the area....
Storm Petrel: A Bird that Walks on Water
You must have heard of St. Peter, the saint, who is said to have walked on water. Well, there is a bird which is named after the saint, because it looks as if it is walking on water. It is called the stormy petrel. It is not known whether the petrel actually walks on water. But, it somehow manages to stay above water. This gives the impression that it is walking on water. Wilson’s Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus): A bird that seems to walk on water But, if a storm arises, the petrel cannot “walk on water”....
Beautiful Flowers that Stink!
A blow-fly was looking for an ideal place to lay eggs. Like rotting meat. So that when her little maggots were born, they could feed on the meat. As she turned a corner in the grassland, she smelt something stinking in the air. The smell of rotten meat! With great joy she perched on it and laid her eggs. She was happy that her children would have enough food to eat. The blow-fly did not know she had made a great mistake....
The Cool Firefly
Firefly is just a name. They are actually very cool insects. And they are not even flies, they are beetles. They have a way of sending out light signals every now and then. If you see them at night on a tree, you might think it is a brightly lit Christmas tree. That is the kind of light these fireflies produce. But the light they send out does not have heat, like the bulbs we use....
The Whale Hunt is On
Japan has sent out a fleet of ships on a two-month mission. Officials say that the expedition has a harmless aim: it is merely a survey to collect data on the Bryde, Sperm and Minke whales’ habitats, diet and migration patterns. The Whale Hunt is On [Illustration by Shiju George] But the environmentalists are up in arms against them. What has shocked them is the Japanese intent to catch and kill 160 whales....
Deception and Mimicry Among Animals to Fool Enemies!
All living beings have enemies. And they all have developed interesting ways to keep them at bay. Some animals hide, others run, or just fly away when faced with danger. These are their defence mechanisms. Some animals can hide without moving. They have the unique ability to change their colour to merge with the surroundings. They become invisible to the predator. This method of defence is called “camouflage”. Some rabbits change colour with the change of season....
The Magical Rainforest
Imagine a forest where the trees touch the sky. Due to enough rainfall, the trees grow huge and spread wide. Their tallest branches are so thick-leafed that they create a thick curtain. Even the wind does not find enough space to blow as it pleases. All there is in that forest is stillness. And it is very warm. The temperature could vary between 20 and 35 degrees centigrade. The climate is such that it is good for life forms of all kinds — from trees to animals, birds and insects....
Looking at the World Upside Down
Have you seen trapeze artists hanging upside down from bars in a circus? They do it with great concentration. Bats also hang upside down from cave walls or tree branches. And they do not need to put in any effort to do so. For they hang upside down only when they are resting. They use their legs to hold on to some cracks or crevices on walls or branches of trees. This way, their stretched muscles take the entire weight of the body....
Does a Sloth Live its Entire Life Upside Down?
Imagine living your entire life upside down. Sounds impossible? Well, it is not impossible for a sloth. The sloth is a mammal which lives in South America. It spends most of its life on trees in an upside down position. Unbelievable, but true. Sloths eat, sleep, make babies and even give birth to their young ones in this position! But, don’t they fall off when they fall asleep, one might wonder. They don’t. A Sloth hanging upside down on the tree That’s because the sloth’s muscles do not relax like ours do when we are sleeping....
Why do Dogs and Cats Eat Grass?
Cats and dogs sometimes eat grass or leaves. Have you ever wondered why these non-vegetarians should be interested in vegetarian food? A dog eating grass It has been found that dogs and cats use certain kinds of grass and leaves as medicine. So, if you find your pet cat is nibbling grass, it might be ill. But, not always. It is possible that the cat has discovered some deficiency in its body....