Earwig is a long-bodied insect with chewing mouthparts and many-jointed antennae. They hatch into nymphs which closely resemble the adults. The most distinguishing characteristic of earwigs is the pair of unjointed, forceps-like structures that terminate their abdomen. The pincers are useful in defense.
Earwigs are nocturnal animals, and they hide during the day in dark, damp places. There are about 900 classified species of earwigs in the world.
Earwigs received their common name from the folk belief that these insects would sometimes crawl into the ears of people as they slept.
Earwigs live on all continents of our planet, except frosty Antarctica. They eat different plants, other insects, and sometimes honey. In rural areas of England, earwig is called battle-twigs. Almost all earwigs have wings, and they can fly, but they do it very seldom. Several species of earwigs are wingless and blind.
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Bandicoots are amazing animals. They are small, rabbit-sized marsupials with a thick set body, short limbs, a pointed muzzle, short neck and short hairy tail. Their hind feet resemble those of kangaroos and possums. The hind feet are considerably longer than the front pair, and the second and third toes of the hind foot are fused together. The forefeet have three prominent toes with strong claws used for digging and searching for insect prey. Bandicoots have adapted to a wide range of habitats, including arid and semi-arid regions, coastal and sub-coastal habitat, savannah and lowland and mid-montane rainforest.
The smallest species mouse bandicoot weighs less than 100 g, while giant bandicoot may weigh more than 5 kg.
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Crows are large birds with shiny black feathers. They often live together in large families. They are known for their loud voices and their intelligence. Pet crows have even learned to imitate human speech. There are more than 20 species of crow. They look much like ravens, their close relatives. They are also related to jays and magpies.
Crows belong to songbirds. However, their calls are typically harsh sounding.
Crows are found nearly all around the world. They live in many different habitats, including forests, grasslands, deserts, steppes, farms, and urban areas. Crows eat a great variety of plants and small animals. Their natural enemies include owls, eagles, and buzzards, and they have had a long-running battle with human beings.
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Scarab beetle was worshiped as a sacred creature by Assyrians and Phoenicians, Greeks and Jews, but most of all ancient Egyptians. Today this insect, depicted on papyrus and T-shirts or carved from precious stones, is one of the most popular souvenirs from the homeland of the pharaohs.
Scarab is a coprophagus insect which eats feces of other fauna. World fame and honor went to the scarab thanks to a unique tendency to roll dung balls with hind legs. You can say that this beetle is a football player, only walks on “hands” and moves always backwards.
The amazing insect was considered a living embodiment of the god Khepri – one of the main Egyptian gods, who created the world and ensures the constant renewal of all things.
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All cats are excellent hunters. They have acute senses and sharp teeth and claws. Even most domestic cats could survive in the wild by catching mice, small birds, insects, and other creatures. The mirrorlike layer inside the eye reflects the light at the back of the eye. This is why a cat’s eyes shine in the dark.
Kittens spend hours chasing their tails, springing on each other, and having mock fights. Their play helps them develop hunting skills, quick reactions.
Cats were probably first domesticated in ancient Egypt about 5,000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians kept domestic cats to guard grain stores. Cats became so celebrated that some were worshiped as gods, and statues were made. The Egyptians mummified large numbers of them and placed them in tombs so they could continue to serve their owners in their afterlife.
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The triumphal flight of two dogs, Belka and Srelka, is widely known in the history of space exploration. But there were their predecessors, who paved the way to space and are now almost forgotten.
In 1946, the Soviet Union, barely recovering from the Second World War, adopted a program for the development of the country’s rocket and space industry. In addition to military-strategic tasks, scientists were required to verify the possibility of sending a person into space. But as in medicine, in the rocket and space industry, they first decided to conduct experiments on dogs.
The Americans chose the chimpanzee as the kind of animal closest to humans. And in the USSR, experts preferred the man’s best friends. According to the legend, the Soviet leaders believed that people liked dogs more than other mammals, so the dog-hero would glorify the Soviet Union quickly than a rat or a monkey. But it was not so.
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Horns are hard structures growing from the animals’ heads. Most horned animals, for example, sheep, cattle, goats, and antelope, also have hooves. Horns vary greatly in size and shape. They are attached to the bone of an animal’s head. Horns are made of keratin, the same material that makes up hooves, hair, fingernails, and feathers. Horns grow in pairs as the animals get older.
Animals use horns as weapons to protect themselves from enemies and in battles with other animals of their kind.
Hornlike antlers, which are not true horns, grow from the heads of deer, elk, and moose. Antlers are bone with a velvety covering and they fall off every year.
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