Ask Science and Arts Magazine for Kids and Children April 2017

A Sheep's-Eye View In the Atlantic Ocean, between Norway and Iceland, there’s a chain of islands called the Faroe Islands. Not many people live there. In fact, the islands have more sheep than people. Recently, the islanders put a few of those sheep to work mapping their islands for the Internet. To make the maps, people strapped cameras to the backs of some of the islands’ sheep. As the sheep wandered, the cameras took pictures of the scenery. Islanders plan to add the pictures to Google Maps. When Google learned about the project, it sent more cameras to help out. That means everyone in the world will get a better look at those sheep-covered hills. CAST SWEEP NO - BELL PRIZES Applaws greeted the surprise announcement April 1 that felines…

Dogs have been living with humans for about 12,000 years—about twice as long as cats have. In that time, dogs have changed a lot from their wolf ancestors. Like many domestic animals, adult dogs keep the look of youngsters, with big heads and round eyes. They have lost their killer instincts and learned to like human company. They are cute, social, and trusting. These changes help them fit into a life with humans. But cats are, well, different. Although cats are happy to live in human houses and eat our food, they have stayed more like their wild relatives than have dogs, cattle, horses, or sheep. So how did these little tigers move into the living room? It’s a Cat’s Life Felids—as scientists call members of the cat family—are very…

We cats are a good-looking bunch, if I do say so myself. Dogs come in all kinds of weird shapes and sizes, but all pet cats have the same basic (and soooo handsome) body shape. That’s because cats were never bred to work like dogs (though we do love to chase mice). Our only job is to look gorgeous! So humans figured out ways to give us many beautiful colors, patterns, and coats, and some rather silly-looking features. How do they do that? Now and then, kittens are born with folded ears or dark coats or curly fur. Sometimes these oddball cats strike the fancy of humans, who then attempt to breed more cats with unusual traits. They do this by mating males and females who have the traits they…

Big or small, all cats eat meat. And their bodies, inside and out, have evolved to stalk and hunt prey. On the outside, a cheetah and a tabby cat have much in common. The cheetah is a runner—the fastest mammal on earth. It can sprint up to 70 miles (113 km) an hour to chase down its prey. Most other cats, big and small, prefer to sneak up and pounce upon their targets. But even house cats can put on a burst of speed when they want to. Compare some of the features of this powerful cheetah with a kitty cat you may know. And next time Pusskins attacks that stuffed mouse, stand back and watch a natural hunter in action. Cats have very sharp eyes, which see well in…

When he was a young boy living in a village in southwest India, Ullas Karanth saw wildlife all around. Elephants and leopards roamed the mountains nearby. He spent hours bird-watching. But as Ullas grew up, he saw forests cut down all around India. Because animals cannot survive when their habitats, or natural homes, are destroyed, Ullas worried that the animals he loved would soon disappear. Indeed, tigers were already vanishing. In all his years of looking, Ullas had never seen one in the wild. In the 1970s, other people in India also started worrying about the future of wildlife. The government passed laws and created nature reserves to protect animals. Ullas Karanth saw his first wild tiger in one of those reserves more than 30 years ago. At that thrilling…

Cats hiss when they’re angry, meow to get our attention, and purr when they’re happy (or to comfort themselves). But cats mostly show what they’re feeling with body language. With practice, you can learn to read these cues too. When you see a cat, look at how she holds herself. Does she look tense or relaxed? Are her ears perked, or moving around, or flat? Is the tail twitching with excitement? Even when she’s silent, your cat is saying plenty! Hello! How are you? A cat with her tail straight up is saying hello. When friendly cats meet, they may rub past each other and entwine tails. Cat kiss When a cat blinks at you slowly, that’s a cat kiss! If you blink back slowly, she may do it again.…