Like most insects, mosquitoes have two compound eyes, each of which contains thousands
Like most insects, mosquitoes have two compound eyes, each of which contains thousands
Goblin Shark
They have narrow snouts and fanglike teeth.
This dino’s headgear likely impressed a mate.
Subscribe menu Triceratops might have tussled to impress other members of its group
The Gila monster is one of only a few poisonous lizards in the world. The Gila (pronounced HEE-luh) is the largest lizard native to the United States. Their black bodies are covered in beadlike scales with bright spots, blotches, or bands of pink, orange, or yellow, which probably warn other animals to stay away. Their bulky bodies, slow-moving stride, thick forked tongue, and snorting hisses reinforce the name Gila monster. They live in the dry, arid regions such as the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Deserts of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. They are named after the Arizona Gila River Basin, where they were first discovered. Gila monsters are more likely to use their venom on a predator than on prey. They clamp their jaws down with the power of a vise grip. Then the venom in their bottom jaw flows through their grooved teeth into the victim. Although the Gila’s bite is extremely painful, no human death has been reported. Gilas are sluggish creatures that feed primarily on eggs raided from bird nests and newborn mammals, such as rabbits and squirrels. They sometimes eat quail eggs whole without crushing the shells. They spend about 95 percent of their time underground and emerge only to hunt for food or to take a sunbath. They don’t need to eat very often because they can store fat in their large tails.
because they can store fat in their large tails. 1:46 Gila Monster Gila monsters have
Also known as woodchucks, groundhogs spend much of their days alone, foraging for plants and grasses and digging burrows up to 66 feet long.
(They actually have separate bathrooms!)
Watch as 12-year-old Cruz and his friends navigate the mysteries and challenges of the Explorer Academy and compete for the coveted North Star Award.
Student The kids who attend Explorer Academy—an exclusive school for explorers—have
These colorful fish live in and around the tropical reefs of all the world’s oceans.
Fun facts • Some species of parrotfish have scales strong enough to stop a spear
Beavers are the largest rodents (gnawing animals) in North America and the second largest in the world, behind the South American capybara. Beavers are powerful swimmers that can swim underwater for up to 15 minutes. As the beaver dips underwater, the nose and ears shut to keep water out. Transparent inner eyelids also close over each eye to help the beaver see.
Comeback critters See how animal species in trouble have come back from the brink
These frogs are considered one of Earth’s most toxic, or poisonous, species. For example, the golden poison dart frog has enough poison to kill 20,000 mice. With a range of bright colors—yellows, oranges, reds, greens, blues—they aren’t just big show-offs either. Those colorful designs tell potential predators, „I’m toxic. Don’t eat me.“ Scientists think that poison dart frogs get their toxicity from some of the insects they eat. How do poison dart frogs capture their prey? Slurp! With a long, sticky tongue that darts out and zaps the unsuspecting bug! The frogs eat many kinds of small insects, including fruit flies, ants, termites, young crickets, and tiny beetles, which are the ones scientists think may be responsible for the frogs‘ toxicity. Poison dart frogs live in the rain forests of Central and South America.
Comeback critters See how animal species in trouble have come back from the brink
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!
That’s why they have to constantly chow down in the months before their light hibernation
