Learn

Some people think of them as the smartest birds on earth. Others think that they are a plain old nuisance. But regardless of your personal opinion, ravens leave a lot of stories in their wake.

Full Article »

Do you ever see fireflies, (also known as lightning bugs) in the park or your back yard as the sun goes down? Some kids like to capture them and watch them glow in a glass jar. Did you ever stop to think about these glowing bug buddies? Why do they glow after all? What’s up with fireflies?

Full Article »

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, wasn’t he? Ok, so even if Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, he was still a bear, right? So what about a Woolly Bear? And if a Woolly Bear isn’t woolly, is he still a bear? Well, not exactly because a Woolly Bear isn’t a bear at all!

A Woolly Bear is a caterpillar! This cute little guy is covered with bands of short, stiff bristles of hair that make it look “woolly”. The black and reddish-brown bands of hair are the same color as bear fur.

Full Article »

If Wood Chucks could chuck wood and Jumping Beans just jump, how much wood could a Wood Chuck chuck and just how many jumps can a Jumping Bean jump? In both cases the answer is: a lot!

Have you ever seen a Mexican Jumping Bean? It’s a little seed from a Mexican shrub and it really does jump around! Can you guess what makes a Jumping Bean jump?

Full Article »

Did you know that bees are one of the reasons that flowers are able to bloom and continue in their life cycle every year? It’s true! Bees travel from one flower to the next, collecting pollen and flower nectar to feed to their kin.

Meanwhile, as they travel from flower to flower, some of the pollen rubs off of their legs and bodies and lands on the part of the flower responsible for reproduction (called the pistil) of other plants in the same species. In fact, some plants are utterly dependent on bees for this cross-pollination process. Mutualism is the term used to describe when one organism helps another even though they are of different species or orders. Kind of cool, huh?

Full Article »

Why do termites get such a bad rap? Just because these small insects eat the wood in your house, you would think they are the devil himself. Lets look a little closer at these creatures and see if they don’t turn out to be cute cuddly friends.

Full Article »

The black widow is one of the creepiest spiders in the animal kingdom.

Although it has a reputation for being one of the deadliest, this is not all true. It is true that the spider does have venom. And it is true that if bitten, it does not tickle, it can even make you quite sick. And it is true that 1 out of every 100 people bitten can die. But, the vast majority of bites are just painful reminders to keep your distance and give this spider the respect it deserves.

Full Article »

The octopus is found in oceans all over the world but mainly in tropical and warm temperate waters. There are many different species of octopi from the size of your little fingernail on up.

One of the largest octopi, the North Pacific Octopus, grows to fifteen feet in length and weighs more than one hundred pounds. The smallest, the Californian, only reaches 3/8 to one inch in length. While most octopi are small, the Giant Pacific Octopus can reach more than thirty feet across! The octopus has a soft body with a well-developed brain, similar to a human’s.

Full Article »

A coral reef is a beautiful shallow water habitat. The warm water is home to many species of fish and invertebrates.

The daytime world of the reef is fascinating, but it is at night that it really comes alive. Nocturnal creatures emerge from burrows, ledges and other hiding places within the coral to search for food. As dusk approaches, coral polyps spread their delicate tentacles to capture tiny animals which dart through the water. Along the sandy bottom, the long body of a Moray eel slithers from a dark cave.

Full Article »

Have you ever wanted a pet dinosaur? This may be a bit difficult since the dino’s have been gone from earth for millions of years, but, the iguana may be your closest chance.

Iguanas are big lizards that live mainly in Central and South America and in countries as far away as Fiji and Papua New Guinea. Daily life consists of finding a sunny spot to bask in, eating, and avoiding predators.

Full Article »

You’ve been reading in bed again, haven’t you? The book on dinosaurs slips from your relaxed grip and you drift off to sleep. You find yourself in a nightmare of jungle under- growth, running for your life from the jaws of the giant and ferocious Tyrannosaurus Rex. You spot a small opening in the rock face directly ahead of you and dive for it, just in the nick of time. The Tyrannosaurus shrieks in rage at missing its prey and lumbers off in search of an easier catch.

Full Article »

Ever wonder what it might be like to come face to face with a dinosaur? Well, as you know, you never will because they have been extinct for millions of years, but some of their distant cousins are still alive like the mighty Komodo Dragon. Although not true fire breathing dragons from medieval stories, these “dragons”‘ are the largest lizards on earth. They can get up to 12 feet long and weigh over 300 lbs! Just imagine being ship wrecked on the same island as these giant meat eaters.

Full Article »