Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2018 i National Geographic Kids

With a lion’s strong jaws and claws, it’s no wonder that this big cat is a big star in the wild. But the powerful predator still faces threats—including ones from humansand their numbers are dwindling. That’s why this year’s Almanac 2019 Challenge is all about saving lions—and how you can help. Send in a poster that includes original art and a one-sentence message about why it’s important to protect lions. You could win $500 to host a “Lions Forever” party that will inspire your friends and family to save these big cats. Plus your artwork might be included in a future issue of Nat Geo Kids magazine, natgeokids.com, or even in next year’s Almanac 2020! SHOW LIONS HOW IMPORTANT YOU THINK THEY ARE! Enter the Almanac 2019 Challenge today by…

SUPERTALL SANDCASTLE You’d need a really big wave to wash away this sandcastle. The world’s tallest sandcastle stood a staggering 54 feet tall in Germany—that’s nearly as tall as three adult giraffes stacked on top of each other! Entirely handmade, the castle took almost a month to build. Wonder how long it took to get the sand out of their clothes? EDIBLE FIREWORKS Scientists in London, England, decided that the sky was the limit for one New Year’s Eve celebrationthey made the fireworks smell and taste good for the first ever multi-sensory fireworks display! The red ones were strawberry scented; the orange fireworks burst in the shape of, well, oranges; and best of all, edible banana-flavored confetti fell over some 50,000 people at the end of the evening. You could…

Baby Sloths  Rock Out San Josecito de Heredia, Costa Rica Huey is in school—and since he’s a two-toed sloth at the Toucan Rescue Ranch, that means his classroom includes two rocking chairs connected by ropes and vines. Rangers near Braulio Carrillo National Park found one-month-old Huey alone in the forest, too young to survive on his own. They brought him to the rescue center, where staff prepare orphaned sloths to live in the wild. That’s where the rocking chairs come in—they teach the sloths how to climb in real trees.“The chairs, vines, and ropes aren’t stable, so they sway like branches in the wind,” says Pedro Montero, a biologist at the center. Once he aces the rocking chairs, Huey will climb on a jungle gym made of wood and tree…

With their kitten-like faces, fluffy fur, and waddling walk, it’s easy to aw over red pandas. But their adorableness might put these animals in danger: Red pandas are ideal targets for the illegal pet trade. Red pandas are already endangered. Their forest homes are being cut down, and poachers hunt them for their fur. Luckily people are trying to help. For instance, the Red Panda Network hires local people to be forest guardians. These panda pals keep watch over the red pandas in Nepal, replant bamboo, and help paying tourists observe them without disturbing the creatures. Other organizations are using high-tech methods to track poachers. By taking a DNA sample from a red panda rescued from the black market, conservationists can learn where the animals are being taken from. You…

About 12,000 animal crackers are created every minute. Your brain uses the same amount of power as a 10watt lightbulb. The largest salamanders can grow as long as a bicycle. The record for the highest jump by a is 27.5 inches— that’s the height of a St. Bernard. Apes laugh when tickled. There are more text messages sent each day than there are people on Earth. The largest hurricanes can measure 10 miles from top to bottom. Days were only 18 hours long a billion years ago. Your ears produce more wax when you’re afraid. CHECK OUT THE BOOK AND APP!…

Courtenay, Canada Kate the Great Dane couldn’t help but fawn over her buddy, Pippin the black-tailed deer. She lovingly licked her hooved pal’s coat and constantly nuzzled her neck. The Great Dane’s owner, Isobel Springett, found the scared and hungry orphaned fawn near her home and brought her inside to feed her. “The moment the two animals laid eyes on each other, they were BFFs,” Springett says. Over the next few weeks, Pippin gained strength and bonded with her dog pal. The buddies would spend the day play-fighting and running after a toy ball. Soon healthy, Pippin joined a wild deer herd. But she still paid regular visits to Kate. When they weren’t cuddling, they playfully chased one another—or other animals. Springett once saw them scamper after a black bear.…

CHOOSE THIS: YOU HAVE A PREHENSILE TAIL. or CHOOSE THAT: YOU HAVE A PREHENSILE TOUNGE. WHAT’S “PREHENSILE”? It’s a body part—like a chameleon’s tail or a giraffe’s tongue—that can be used like a fifth limb to grab or grip things. If you CHOSE THIS Give yourself a hand. No, really—give yourself an extra hand! A prehensile tail is like a bonus arm on your backside, able to clutch branches and grab goodies. You’ve probably seen pictures of howler monkeys using their long, skinny tails to dangle from branches, which frees their arms to grab tasty leaves. But lots of other animals have prehensile tails. Opossums, anteaters, kinkajous, tree pangolinsthey’re all in the club. You’re in cute company! If you CHOSE THAT A prehensile tongue sure comes in handy. Just ask…

LOOK OUT BELOW! These photos show how things look from up in the sky. Unscramble the letters to identify what’s in each picture.…