Animals living in the extreme cold regions go into hibernation to overcome the cold in winter. Hibernation is different from sleep. The animals do not wake up or move. In autumn the animals eat a lot to build fat in the body. The animals sleep through the cold winters living on the fat stored up…
Chameleons are cold-blooded reptiles that come in a variety of colours. The skin has underneath it layers of different coloured cells controlled by nerves and hormones. When it is threatened, a male panther chameleon becomes angry, it changes colour from placid green to angry orange in seconds, and finally to bright red. When both layers…
The colour of a flamingo is determined by its diet. Flamingos feed on microscopic bacteria that are rich in red pigments. These pigments are absorbed by the flamingo’s tissues and spread around its body: to the feathers, beak and skin. A flamingo will turn grey if it does not feed on the pigment-rich diet.
The black-and-white-striped body of a zebra creates an optical illusion. In a herd it is difficult to see exactly where one zebra stops and another begins. This can be a challenge for the predators like lions. Zebras are plagued by biting insects, but bizarrely they are unlikely to be bitten by the blood-sucking bugs –…
The albatross is a seabird with a mean wingspan of 3 metres. It glides over the waves for hours. It basically rides on the air currents, rarely flapping its long narrow wings.
The tree frog has specially designed toes. The ends of the toes have discs which act as suckers by creating a temporary vacuum. This helps the frogs to move on smooth leaves. The toes sometimes have webs which are sticky in nature. The frogs can easily hold on to the twigs and leaves with their…
