Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023/January 2024 i National Geographic Kids

ATTENTION ALL ANIMAL LOVERS: The Endangered Species Act is turning 50! This 1973 law (also known as the ESA) makes it illegal to kill or harass endangered species in the United States and gave U.S. government agencies the power to protect those critters’ habitats. The ESA helps protect animals in other countries, as well. For instance, ivory trade is banned in the United States; that helps protect African and Asian elephants, which are often poached for their ivory tusks. Thanks to the ESA and similar laws enacted by other countries to protect critters, endangered animals have a chance to survive. In fact, without the ESA, experts think that nearly 300 of Earth’s animal species might have vanished by now. That’s why Nat Geo Kids has created this special Endangered Animals…

A brightly colored scarlet macaw soars over thousand-year-old ruins in Honduras, a country in Central America. After passing over an ancient pyramid, the scarlet macaw lands on a carved stone sculpture of … itself. These birds were sacred to the Maya, people who thrived in this region between A.D. 300 and 900. This site, called the Copán ruins, has more macaw imagery than any other Maya spot. But by the early 2000s, real scarlet macaws were in danger of disappearing from this region. POACHING PROBLEMS With their colorful feathers, curious nature, and ability to mimic human speech, many people wanted scarlet macaws as pets throughout the 1900s, especially in the United States. So local people would climb trees in Central American forests to nab scarlet macaw chicks. One bird could…

Dive under the ocean waves, and you’ll hear wails, groans, whoops, croaks, squeaks, purrs, and barks. All these sounds are coming from one species: the humpback whale. As these 50-foot-long mammals swim through the sea, they compose these sounds into a song. New research has found that whales in a single population share the same song, and together they change the tune over time and across the ocean. Just 50 years ago, the seas were much quieter. Humpback whale numbers had been declining for centuries, and only a few thousand remained. But people love music as much as humpbacks do—and that gave the whales a chance to survive. HOW TO HELP HUMPBACK WHALES Take a whale-watching tour, following approved marine-life viewing guidelines. Have your parents take photos of whale flukes, or…

Our planet is packed with up to 10 quintillion insects. (That’s 19 zeros!) But nearly half of all insect species are threatened or endangered. “These creatures are important to every eco-system,” says Zak Gezon, Disney’s conservation manager and an entomologist (a bug scientist). “They pollinate plants, decompose plant and animal matter, and are themselves a source of food.” Check out these endangered insects—plus get tips on how you can help protect them. DESERT BASKER A This dragonfly was thought to be extinct for more than 30 years. TRUE: The last time anyone spotted this insect was in the 1980s—until a scientist snapped a photo of one in 2013! B All desert baskers are red. FALSE: Female desert baskers are brown, which camouflages them in the West Asian wetlands where they…

What’s the slimiest animal? The hagfish easily takes this ooey gooey top spot. It can fill an entire bucket with slime in less than a second! Turns out, slime is a hagfish’s superpower. When threatened, the eel-like, 18-inch-long fish releases sticky mucus—or slime—filled with tiny fibers that sting and clog a predator’s gills. And if that doesn’t work, the hagfish has a backup move: It can squirm out of its attacker’s grasp by tying itself into a knot. (How? The hagfish has no bones.) This fish might be the slimiest animal, but it could also compete in the “strangest” category. It’s the only animal with a skull but no true spinal column, and its skull is made of cartilage, the same flexible tissue in your nose and ears. It has…

ALL IN THE FAMILY Every living thing on Earth—animals, plants, and fungi—shares a common ancestor that lived 1.6 billion years ago. That means all living things share some DNA, the stuff that determines everything from eye color to height. Here’s how much DNA humans share with other organisms. CHECK OUT THE BOOK!…

A cinnamon-colored wolf pads through a swampy corner of eastern North Carolina. As this red wolf searches for tasty rodents, experts track the animal through the orange GPS collar it’s wearing around its neck. They need to know where it goes so they can better protect it—and this predator needs lots of protection. The red wolf is the most endangered wolf on Earth. But this isn’t the only kind of wolf living in the United States that needs help. In the past, both gray wolves and Mexican wolves (a subspecies of gray wolf) almost went extinct in the country. But conservationists, scientists, and lawmakers worked together to protect the animals, and today these wolves are returning to their homeland. “Humans and wolves can coexist,” says Giselle Narváez Rivera, an animal…

A nearly 700-pound, 10-foot-long animal slinks silently through the forest. Its orange-and-black fur matches the pattern of sunlight filtering through the woods. “Tigers are much larger, more beautiful, and more graceful than you’d expect,” says John Goodrich, chief scientist for conservation group Panthera, which works to protect tigers. Tigers are the largest wild cats in the world—and they’re in trouble. In the past hundred years, these animals have lost about 95 percent of their habitat. By 2010, the tiger population was at an all-time low, with only a few thousand remaining. HOW TO HELP TIGERS Grab a parent and check out the World Wildlife Fund’s palm oil scorecard online before buying peanut butter, soap, or other items with palm oil, which is grown in tiger habitat. Ask your school cafeteria…

Animals often blend in with their environment to hide. Find each animal listed below in the pictures, then write the letter of the correct photo next to each animal’s name. ANSWERS ON PAGE 35 1. orchid mantis _____ 2. giant walking stick _____ 3. crocodilefish _____ 4. marbled tree frog _____ 5. rock ptarmigans (a type of bird) _____ 6. Asian vine snake _____ 7. mountain hare _____ HINT: Find two! ”Find the Hidden Animals” (pages32-33): 1. B, 2. D, 3. E, 4. F, 5. A, 6. C, 7. G.…

VERY IMPORTANT BEAR This officer doesn’t follow orders very well—unless it’s an order to eat fish! Juno the polar bear is the world’s highest-ranking bear. The bear was “adopted” by the Canadian Army as a mascot after she was born near an armed forces holiday; she now holds the unofficial rank of master corporal. She’s also an environmental ambassador, raising climate change awareness for visitors at the Toronto Zoo where she lives. Juno, we salute you! —Laura Goertzel HUGE DECORATION You might have a hard time hanging up this ornament. Dangling from the ceiling of a mall in Dubai, United Arab Emirates(a country in the Middle East), the world’s largest holiday bauble weighs 2,425 pounds and has about a 15-foot diameter. Fifteen people needed two nights to put together the ornament,…

Beaver Cleans Room Chelmsford, Massachusetts Busy as a beaver? Just wait till you meet Nibi! Found near a road when she was a few days old, this American beaver is growing up at Newhouse Wildlife Rescue. For her first year, Nibi spent most of her time inside the facility, where she could be safe from predators like hawks and get the care she needed. Rehabbers gave Nibi lots of toys to play with and sticks to practice her dam-building skills. Throughout the day, Nibi mixed the sticks and toys together. But when the beaver decided it was time to clean up, she carefully placed each item into its proper pile. “It’s like she was separating her playthings from her work things,” animal rehabilitator Jane Newhouse says. Nibi’s behavior is similar to how…

A sandy-colored deer with white spots springs out of a wooden crate. A park ranger has just released the GPS-collared critter as part of a plan to save the Persian fallow deer. Standing just three feet tall at the shoulder, this animal is one of the rarest species of deer in the world. Once thought to be extinct, today these deer are returning to the oak and pistachio woodlands they used to roam. HOW TO HELP PERSIAN FALLOW DEER Explore parks like Dasht-e Naz Wildlife Refuge, where wild animals can roam without being hunted. These areas help keep wild animals safe. Visit zoos approved by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums; these institutions help save species like the Persian fallow deer. ANCIENT ANIMALS Persian fallow deer were once common across…

1 SPACED OUT Don’t give wild animals food or water. It might seem kind, but doing this encourages critters like manatees to approach people and boats, which puts them in danger. (Plus, people food can make animals sick.) And don’t toss foodoutofthe car window—it encourages animals like opossums, coyotes, and turtles to get close to the road, where they can get hurt. (Bird feeders and birdbaths are OK!) 2 TOILET TROOPER Don’t flush medicine or pet poo down the toilet. Wastewater treatment facilities aren’t built to treat this material, so it can end up in waterways. That can make animals like sea otters and fish sick. 3 BIRD BUDDY Put stickers, paint, or tape on the outside of your house’s windows to keep birds from flying into these reflective surfaces. On spring…