Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2016 i Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and Children

The Not-So-Itsy-Bitsy Spider How big do you think this spider is? Would you call it small? Or enormous? The answer might depend on how scared the spider makes you feel. Scientists in Israel recently asked people to look at photos of spiders and other bugs on a computer screen. For each image, they had to guess the critter’s real size. People with a major fear of spiders guessed the spiders were bigger than they actually were. They thought the spiders in the photos were larger than wasps, beetles, and even butterflies. So next time you see a huge spider, remember that fear can make things seem larger than they are—and to the spider, you’re the real giant. Picture This Need an excuse to doodle in class? Drawing a picture of…

Metamorphosis is a Greek word meaning “to change shape.” Unlike mammals and reptiles, which just get bigger as they grow up, many insect and amphibians change shape completely. Today we ask some of these metamorphs—why do they do it? When I was a nymph, I lived underwater and ate lots, so I needed strong jaws and claws and lots of guts. But as an adult, I want to fly around to mate and lay eggs. That takes a very different body. The solution? Change! Changing shape helps us avoid food fights. Young salamanders live in the water and eat insect larvae and tadpoles. But grown-up salamanders prefer crickets and worms. Since adults and kids eat different stuff, the kids don’t have to worry that we’ll steal their lunch. Sam Salamander…

Last summer I picked a bouquet of swamp milkweed flowers to decorate my table. The next day, I noticed something creeping through the pink flowers. A tiny monarch caterpillar nibbled there! Bits of pink petals dropped to the table. I looked closely and found a second caterpillar hiding in the sea of pink. I decided to raise the caterpillars and watch them turn into butterflies. What’s going on inside the chrysalis? Even inside the caterpillar, adult butterfly parts, like wings and antennae, have started to grow, hidden underneath the skin. All the parts of an adult butterfly grow from tiny clumps of cells inside the caterpillar. Caterpillar parts break down and rearrange into new butterfly parts. The leaf-eating caterpillar’s big stomach (shown in red) shrinks—butterflies sip nectar, so they don’t…

The Secret Lives of Backyard Bugs by Judy Burris and Wayne Richards For amazing adventures, magical transformations, and thrilling escapes, you don’t need to go to Narnia. You can just visit the backyard. This tell-all expose reveals the unusual childhood disguises of some familiar insects, and the surprising things they get up to when they think you’re not looking. The Octopus Scientists by Sy Montgomery If you were an octopus, where would you hide? Maybe out in plain sight—their squishy, color-changing bodies make them masters of disguise. This interesting book follows a group of octopus scientists on an expedition to learn more about the cunning, shape-shifting octopus—if only they can find one. Wait, is that rock moving? Bugs and Bugsicles by Amy S. Hansen Where do bugs go in the…

Meet the Eel Although it looks like a snake, the eel lives in the water and is a fish. Its body is long, thin, and smooth. One fin runs along its back and around the tip of its tail. A female freshwater eel grows about 3 feet (1 m) long, while a male is about half that size. Eels hide in the mud all day and come out at night. The freshwater eel is a fish that makes two remarkable journeys, one at the beginning of its life and one at the end. It is born in the ocean, lives its adult life in a freshwater stream, then returns to the ocean. While moving from one part of the world to another, it changes its shape—not once or even twice,…

Dear Marvin, I have a complaint! Whenever I try to play a big prank I get tons of punishment! Zia, I love parties! We went to Missouri once. I had a very fun time! Love, Mulean H., Hawaii Dear Mulean, Yeah, I have that problem too. Too many rules! And not enough invisibility cloaks. I’m working on it. Is Hawaii as fun as Missouri? Do you live on a volcano? I’ve always wanted to, that would be fiery! Pranks forever! Marvin Dear Avery, I love squirrels. Do you know Sam Campbell’s Living Forest books? He was a naturalist (ask Whatson). He had five baby pet squirrels, and he named them Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo, and Still-mo. Squirrels Rock! Iona K., age 9, North Carolina Dear Iona, Thanks for the suggestion,…