– The tongues of some moths and butterflies are as long as their bodies. The food of these moths and butterflies is the nectar. It is produced in the deep pockets of flowers. By unrolling its tongue the insect can reach the nectar. When the insect rests, the tongue is coiled up like the spring of a watch, but it is always ready to unroll again in a moment.
– Some butterflies taste with their feet.
– Most flies live their lives in spring and summer; then they die. But some of them find warm places (usually in houses) where they can hide. They do not eat in winter. They sleep as bears. Sometimes a warm day in winter wakes a fly and makes it hungry. So the fly begins to look for food. But the warm days pass, the cold returns and kills the fly. Very few flies get through the winter.
– The stinger of a mosquito weighs 0.000.006th of an ounce.
– The water beetle carries a reserve supply of air under its wings.
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Australia, the largest island in the Pacific, was named the fifth continent. Its fauna is unique. Most Australian animals are marsupial mammals. Their young are born very tiny – no longer than one or one and a half centimeters, completely blind and without hair. Immediately after birth, they move into a bag.

Wallabies are from the kangaroo family. They get around by hopping and they raise the young in a pouch. Farmers often kill them because they want to save the grass for their sheep. Wallabies have also been killed for their fur.
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Jellyfish is mysterious and incredibly beautiful inhabitant of the seas and oceans of our planet.
A jellyfish is a sea animal, but it is not a fish at all. It has no bones, and most of its body is like jelly. It does not have a brain or a heart. They have tentacles, or feelers, that they use to sting their prey.
Jellyfish are related to the corals and the sea anemones. There are about 200 kinds of jellyfish and they can be found in all oceans. Some jellyfish live in fresh water.
Jellyfish have been around for 650 million years. They were here before dinosaurs and sharks!
A jellyfish usually has the shape of an umbrella or a bell. They can be transparent, white, brown, pink, blue, or maroon. Some jellyfish have eyes around the edge of the body. The mouth and stomach are in the middle of the body.
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Ants have been on Planet Earth for more than 140 million years. There are more than 12,000 different kinds of ants. They are found almost everywhere in the world, but they are most common in hot areas.
All ants live in colonies. Each colony has at least one or more queens. The job of the queen is to lay eggs. Worker ants look for food, look after the young, and defend the nest from unwanted visitors.
The Slave-Maker Ant raids the nests of other ants and steals their pupae. When these new ants hatch, they work as slaves within the colony.
Red Ants have a sting which they use to defend their nest. Black Ants and Wood Ants can squirt a spray of formic acid. Some birds put ants in their feathers because the ants squirt formic acid which gets rid of the parasites.
One of the most interesting kinds of ants is the ‘army ant’. It eats living things!
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The orangutan is the largest living tree–dwelling ape. In the Malay language, its name means “forest person” or “man of the woods.” It is a reddish ape related to gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos. All these animals are called great apes because of their large size and great intelligence.
The orangutan was once found throughout Indochina, Malaysia and north to China, and possibly in India. In the past it was thought that the orangutan had also occurred in Africa. These animals are rare and inhabit the impenetrable forests of Borneo, Java and Sumatra, as well as those of Guinea and Congo.
In historical times it has only been known to occur on Sumatra and Borneo. About 100 years ago it was present in most of the rainforest areas on these islands.
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Flamingos are tall, mostly pink birds with long legs. They fly and feed in large flocks of hundreds to even millions of birds. They are wading birds, this means they feed while standing or walking in shallow water.
These birds occur in tropical and temperate regions of Africa, Madagascar, India, southern Europe, Caribbean coasts, highlands of the Andes in South America, and on the Galapagos Islands.
Flamingos live in warm regions near lakes and bodies of water called lagoons.
There are five species of flamingo. The greater flamingo is also commonly kept in theme parks and zoos.
The Chilean flamingo is a smaller species, occurring from central Peru through the Andes to Tierra del Fuego.
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Chameleons are lizards, well- known for being able to change the color of their skin. The word chameleon in Greek means “earth lion”.
There are over 80 different kinds of chameleon. They live in Africa, western Asia and southern Europe. Different species of chameleon are of different sizes – from about 4 centimeters to 60 centimeters long. The Parson’s chameleon, from Madagascar, is one of the largest of its family.
Chameleons live in trees, where they usually eat insects. They catch their prey with the help of their long and slender tongue. Very large chameleons may even catch birds.
Most chameleons are green, yellow, or brown colored. However, these animals are famous for their ability to rapidly change the color. Many people believe that chameleons can make their color change to match their surroundings. The color change is a form of camouflage.
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