Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2025, issue 123 i Eco Kids Planet Magazine

Hello, Eco Kids! Grrooonk… Grrooonk! Greetings from Lake Kerkini in Greece! My name is Petra, and I’m a Dalmatian pelican – the proud owner of the biggest beak in the bird world. My beak is a whopping 47cm long, and my expandable pouch can hold up to 13 litres of water and fish. That’s enough to scoop up several fish in one go! I don’t keep them long, though – I quickly drain the water and gulp down my catch. My favourites include carp, perch and mullet – yum! Although you might say we have big mouths, we pelicans aren’t the chattiest birds. If you visit Lake Kerkini, you might hear a group of us joining together in a funny rumbling chorus to let others know we’re around. Have you…

Rusty: Hi, Rusty fans! I’m back already. Rhona: Kindly focus, Rusty. We’re on the lookout out for incredibly tiny creatures with jaws. Rusty: Are there any? Rhona: Yes, I heard that jaw animals live in this river. Rusty: Jaw animals?!  Rhona: Yes, micrognathozoa. Rusty: Micro-nasty-snozzle-what? Rhona: My-cro-nath-o-zoe-a. It means tiny jaw animals. Look, there’s one – swimming slowly in a spiral. Rusty: It looks like a round-headed worm, covered in hairs. And its middle bits look like that accordion our Uncle Angus plays! Rhona: It’s hungry. See it moving its head slowly from side to side? Its head bristles are creating a water current that pushes food towards its mouth. Rusty: What is it eating? Rhona: Looks like teeny bacteria and algae. Rusty: Its bottom jaws are grabbing them and…

Welcome to the Jaw-Some edition of our “Who Said That?” challenge! Read through the speech bubbles below, then guess which jaw-some animal said each one. Put the correct label in the circle next to each speech bubble. From the fiercest crocodiles to quirky piranhas, it’s time to see how well you know your mighty jaws and beaks! 1. Zip, zap, ZOOM! With my fancy beak and lightning speed, I zip from flower to flower, sipping nectar like a pro. Fastest drinker in the garden? That’s me! 2. My bill is not just for show, you know! I use it to reach fruits way up high and scoop them into my mouth. Oh, and it helps me stay chill in the tropical heat! Cool, right? 3. I’m all about patience, kid!…

Monthly Competition For this month’s competition, we’d like you to create an animal with the most extraordinary jaws or beak. Will it have shark-like teeth for hunting? A beak designed to crack tough nuts? Or maybe a totally new function, like grabbing starlight for energy? Draw or describe your creature and explain how its jaws work and why they’re special. The most creative, imaginative and jawdropping entries will win. Get ready to unleash your imagination and design something truly JAWsome! FOUR lucky winners will each receive the fantastic Dinosaurs Annual 2025 from the Natural History Museum! 4 TO WIN! Natural History Museum Dinosaurs Annual 2025 Travel back in time to when dinosaurs ruled the Earth! This fun-packed annual is full of ferocious dino facts, prehistoric puzzles and fun quizzes. Learn…

We’ll begin with some peak beakspeak – the ultimate bird beak Q&A! Are birds' beaks silly-looking noses, or teeth, or what? They’re jaws, really. Birds’ jawbones evolved into beaks over millions of years. Their noses are those little nostrils near the top of the beak, where their beak meets their face. What are they made of? What, faces? No, beaks, silly! They’re still mostly made of bone. The outside has a thin, shiny covering of keratin. Wait, keratin - isn’t that…? Yes, the same protein that makes up your hair and fingernails. Wow, so birds' beaks are like fingernails? Steady on! Only in that their outer part is made of keratin and grows non-stop. And what’s the difference between a beak and a bill? No difference – they’re the same…

It’s me, Charlie, the Eco Kid who can chat with animals. This time, I’m meeting a prehistoric-looking bird with a whopping, razorsharp beak! Charlie: I’m in the wetlands of Zambia, southern Africa. I put the word out among the local wildlife that I want to meet a shoebill here. Their huge beaks look like wooden clogs. That’s how they get their name. I hope one gets the message and comes to meet me. Or do I? They look straight out of the prehistoric era. They can also look mean, and I hear they have a death stare. That doesn’t sound good! RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT! Charlie: Yikes, who’s firing a machine gun? I hope it’s only a toy, but maybe I’d better take cover. RAT-A-TAT-TAT-TAT! Charlie: Hey, a big bird is heading my…

I see my annoying brother Rusty hogged another full page banging on about his silly dinosaurs again. Well, there’ll be none of that here – in my photo awards special! RHONA REPORTS! N0. And don’t forget about me – Rusty! STUCK SQUIRREL I can reveal 2024’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards overall winner! Italian photographer Milko Marchetti took this winning snap in a park in Ravenna where a tree has a hole that’s an old woodpecker’s nest. The curious local squirrels sometimes check it out. It looks like one got stuck halfway in, but don’t worry. It didn’t really. Milko snapped the moment when the squirrel simply entered the hole! ROCK STAR SQUIRREL I thought you’d also love to see one of the photos from the youngest-ever category award winner. Ten-year-old…

Down: 1. A tough protein found in feathers, beaks and hair. 2. A wading bird with a curved beak that looks like a pair of tweezers. 5. Which crocodilian is thought to have the strongest bite? 6. A small aquatic snail with iron-strengthened teeth used to scrape food. 8. A tongue-like structure in some animals, like snails, covered with tiny teeth. 10. A fish that has no mouth but absorbs nutrients through its skin. Across: 3. To clean, arrange and take care of feathers using a bird’s beak. 4. A bird’s jaw used for eating, grooming and other tasks. 7. Which ladybird species is most likely to bite? 9. A bird with a long beak used to drink nectar from flowers. 11. Which pelican species has the largest beak? 12.…

Gharials might look terrifying with their super-sharp teeth, but humans are far more dangerous to these crocodilians than the other way round! Croc-a-what? Gharials are part of the crocodilian family, which includes crocodiles, caimans and alligators. In fact, they’re one of the biggest crocodilians in the world. Males can be six metres long or more! Females are smaller (about four metres long). Gharials were once more widespread, but they’re now clinging on in just a few spots in northern India, Nepal and, possibly, Bangladesh. They are mostly found in deep, fast-moving rivers, only coming out to bask in the sun or lay eggs. Did You Know? Gharials have weak legs, which makes walking a bit tricky. So, on land, they slide along on their bellies instead! My, what big teeth…

Congrats to our four winners! “I went on a walk with my granny, mum and brother and collected lots of different natural materials. When I got home I decided to make an autumn scene. Everything I did not use I put back in the woods so that animals can use it to stay safe and warm in winter.” “I was inspired by the beautiful pheasants that I feed in my garden every day.” To see more awesome autumnal art, go to www.ecokidsplanet.co.uk/autumn-art-competition…

This snappy shark puppet is made from paper bowls and scraps of card. It loves to munch imaginary crustaceans, squid and bony fish! You will need • Two paper bowls • A kitchen roll or wrapping paper tube • Scraps of card and white paper • Googly eyes • Paper tape • Scissors • Glue • Stapler • Paints Step-by-Step Instructions 1. Cut a part-circle in the bottom of a bowl. This will be the shark’s body. 2. Fold the second bowl in half. This will be a mouth. 3. Staple the two bowls together. 4. Attach the cardboard tube. 5. Cut some fins and a tail from card. 6. Cut the larger tail piece and slot the smallest fin into it. Secure with paper tape. 7. Staple the fins…