Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2023, issue 102 i Eco Kids Planet Magazine

I know what you’re all thinking. “But what about dinosaurs?” Well, I’m the world’s top dinosaur expert, here to tell you about their titanic tails! Some experts think tyrannosaurus rexes wagged their tails from side to side when they walked or ran. It would have helped to balance their huge heads and bodies! Some of the most massive monsters had super-long tails that were the same weight as their super-long necks. They probably also helped to balance them when moving. But I bet some dinosaurs used their tails as weapons! The Ankylosaurus was like an armoured tank. It was covered in spikes and plates. Even its eyelids had bone plates for protection. As if that wasn’t enough, it also had a Bum of Doom! That tail club looks like a…

The UK has three species of lizard – the common lizard, the sand lizard and the slow-worm. Jamel Guenioui is a senior ecologist at Surrey Wildlife Trust. He is an expert on lizards and loves to photograph them in action. Where are the best places in the UK to spot a lizard? In the UK, the best place to spot lizards is on heathland sites in warmer weather. If you walk along footpaths in the sunshine, you can use your shadow as a guide. It points to the sunniest side of the path, which is where the lizards will be hanging out. They’re so well camouflaged, it’s easier to spot them when they’re moving. What is the best time of day to spot lizards and does it vary by species?…

Marine creatures use their tails in so many ways. Of course, they propel themselves forwards (and sideways and even backwards) with all sorts of different sizes, shapes and types of tails. But did you know that some animals use their tails to hunt, while others protect themselves with their tails? Tails can even communicate – and some animals use their tails to trick! Let’s look at how they do it… 1. Movement Fish tails are known as caudal fins. (Ha! ‘Tail’ is so much easier…) They use this special tail fin to push themselves through the water. There are lots of different tail shapes and sizes, of course. Each one has evolved to support the need of each marine animal’s swimming speed and style. For example, long-bodied fish such as…

MONTHLY COMPETITION You learned in this issue that humans lost their tails more than 25 million years ago. Scientists think that when we started walking upright, we simply didn’t need them for balance. But don’t you think that a tail could have been useful sometimes? And would make your life so much more fun?! So, this month’s competition is all about you… and your imaginary tail. That’s right – we’d like you to picture yourself with a tail! Would it be long and fluffy or short and spiky? Send us a drawing of you with a tail and describe the different ways it could be useful. Send us your entry before 10th May 2023, and we’ll publish our favourites in the June 2023 issue of Eco Kids Planet. Plus… FOUR…

RHONA REPORTS! N0. 41 And don’t forget about me – Rusty! SAVE OUR WILD ISLES Are you watching Sir David Attenborough’s new telly series, Wild Isles? It shows how wonderful UK nature is – and how easily damaged it is, too. Now, three of the UK’s largest conservation charities, the National Trust, the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds) and WWF (World Wildlife Foundation), have come together. They’re asking everyone in the UK to help halt the destruction of our nature and take action to Save Our Wild Isles. After all, as they remind us, “The UK is home to some of Earth’s most spectacular species – from puffins to orcas, bees, beavers, butterflies and ancient oak trees. And we rely on nature for everything from the air…

We all know dogs wag their tails to show they’re happy. A relaxed or excited wag is like a human smile. It means the dog is friendly or playful, saying: “I’m pleased” or “I’m not threatening you.” A ‘helicopter’ wag moving in a full circle says, “I’m really pleased to see you!” But some wags are different. A slow, controlled wag isn’t so friendly. It’s saying, “Back off!” If the tail is stiff and high, giving fast, jerky little wags only at its tip, that’s more of a threat. It could be saying: “I’ll fight you,” so beware! Dogs’ tail positions tell us things, too. A tail held high says, “I’m confident” or even “I’m the boss around here.” If a dog lowers its tail to cover its bottom when…

In February’s ‘Wildlife Heroes and… Villains?’ issue, we asked you to create your own Earth Hero. Thank you to everyone who sent us their entries. We are so impressed by your thoughtful words and powerful images! You made us so proud of our amazing young readers. Congratulations to our four winners “Eco Ape has big eyes for spotting rubbish and he has a grabber on his tail for picking up the rubbish. Eco Ape has big, magic boxing gloves that he can use to bash up the rubbish and it magically turns into compost. Eco Ape has big feet for running very fast. Eco Ape’s mission is to stop pollution and climate change throughout the world, one piece of rubbish at a time! Eco Ape’s mission will be complete when…

Would you find it handy to have an extra limb? Kangaroos use their tails to help them keep balance as they bounce along. Their tails also act as a powerful ‘third leg’ to help push them off the ground. BOING! But many animals use their tail as an extra arm – and fingers! Tails that can grip and grab on to things are called prehensile tails. Many monkeys have prehensile tails, including howler monkeys and spider monkeys It helps them climb and move through trees and to eat up there, too, sometimes dangling from a branch. Opossums, tree pangolins, some porcupines and several lizards have them, too. But which fish has a grippy, grabby tail? Yes, seahorses use their muscular, armour-plated tails to grab on to non-moving objects. It stops…

These marvellous monkeys spend almost all their lives high up in the rainforests of South America. So how did they become one of the most endangered primates in the world? Why spider monkey? Spider monkeys have nothing to do with spiders (apart from eating them once in a while!). Instead, they get their unusual name from the way they use their long, slim limbs to climb (they don’t creep or crawl at all!) around their forest homes. Way up in the treetops, they look just like giant spiders! Did You Know? The spider monkey’s scientific name Ateles means ‘without’ – because this primate has no proper thumbs! But its four-fingered, hook-like hands are the perfect shape for swinging from tree to tree! Did You Know? Brown spider monkeys usually have…

SCRAPPING FOR SCRAPS! Hi, Rusty fans! A new study says wildlife fights for leftover food scraps in British gardens! Foxes, badgers, hedgehogs and our pet cats are among the species clashing for food. Wow – I never knew! All kinds of battles go on outside, especially while we’re quietly sleeping and Rhona is snoring. All for a midnight snack! One video shows a fox, a badger and a hedgehog competing for food. In one fight, a hedgehog got pushed into some water. It sounds like an animal version of WWE! Badgers take the lead for getting to food the fastest. They’re also the strongest in these battles – but are less likely to fight each other. Hedgehogs had more clashes than you’d expect. Cats and foxes seem to dislike each…

The male peacock has one of nature’s most colourful and mesmerising tails. He fans his flashy feathers to attract a mate or to scare off predators. This mosaic features the blue peacock, which lives in the wild in India and Sri Lanka. It is made with dried pinto beans – not peas (so maybe it should be called a beancock instead!). What you need: Dried beans such as pinto or haricot beans PVA glue A glue spreader or old paintbrush A pencil and felt-tip pen Corrugated or thick card Scissors Paint (acrylic works best) A paintbrush Nail polish (optional) What to do: 1. Draw a design on a piece of card in pencil. When you are happy with it, go over the lines in pen. 2. Starting at the centre…