Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2020 i National Geographic Kids

PUP BABYSITS PIGLETS Oranienburg, Germany The litter of boar piglets living at the Lehnitz Animal Sanctuary loved trying to get piggyback rides from their best bud, Baby the French bulldog. “Sometimes when the animals romped around, one of the boars would try to scramble onto Baby’s back,” sanctuary worker Norbert Damm said. “Baby would playfully shake the piglet off.” The football-size boars arrived at the sanctuary where the dog lived after they were found alone and freezing in a nearby forest. When the pooch saw the shivering newborns, she ran right over. “Baby cuddled with them, just as their mom would’ve done,” Damm said. The pup stuck close to the pigs from then on. Eventually the boars moved to a nature reserve. But for a while the fuzzy crew enjoyed…

Chickens are dumb. If there were an intelligence ladder, they’d be perched near the bottom. Foxes would sit on a rung higher than turtles. And chimps would outrank all animals except humans—who rule from the top. At least that’s how scientists used to think. But that thinking has changed. Why? Because no one can design an intelligence test that’s fair for all creatures. Two-handed chimps can learn sign language. But robins can’t—they only have wings. Goldfish would fail at tree climbing but earn A’s in swimming. “I really don’t make cross-species comparisons,” says Marc Bekoff, a scientist from the University of Colorado in Boulder. “Dogs do what they need to do to be dogs, and foxes do what they need to do to be foxes.” That said, animals can demonstrate…

Izzy Newton has just started sixth grade at Atom Middle School. She can’t wait to introduce her buds Allie Einstein and Charl iDearwin to her old friend Marie Curie, who’s just moved back to town. But Marie doesn’t seem as thrilled to see Izzy as Izzy is to sehee r. In this excerpt from Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero, Izzy and her crew are investigating a broken air conditioner that’s causing the school to feel like the Arctic. They head to the roof to use their science skills to solve the problem—and get stuck. It’s up to Izzy to figure out how to escape without being reported to the principa “Oh, no!” cried Izzy. She, Allie, and Charlie tugged on the door handle, but the door back…

ANSWERS ON PAGE 33 1. pygmy seahorse 2. proboscis bat 3. stone grasshopper 4. gray wolf 5. lion 6. European hare…

ITTY-BITTY KITTY Lilieput may be the world’s shortest cat, but she doesn’t let her other feline friends get in her way—she just runs right under them! Lilieput, who is a breed of cat known as a munchkin, is less than six inches tall at her shoulders. That’s barely taller than a soda can. EYE-POPPING RECORD! Your eyes might bulge when you see this. Kim Goodman can pop out her eyes almost a half inch beyond her eye sockets. Goodman discovered the talent when she was accidentally hit on the head (she wasn’t hurt) and now can pop her peepers anytime she wants. This is definitely something you have to see to believe. TOWER OF TOOTHPICKS It makes sense that the world’s tallest toothpick structure looks like the world’s tallest building.…

Silly Seal Sniffs Eel Lisianski Island, Hawaii This seal nose a thing or two about getting into trouble. The Hawaiian monk seal pup was spotted lounging on the beach—with an eel hanging out of its nostril. Scientists approached the seal, gently held it down with their hands, and then pulled the two-and-a-half-foot dead eel out of its nose in about a minute. “The seal didn’t feel any pain,” says Charles Littnan, director of the Protected Species Division at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Hawaii. “In fact it didn’t seem to care at all.” Scientists have since found three other young seals with eels in their noses—and they don’t know why. But since eels are on the seals’ menu, the mishap probably happened when the youngsters were hunting. “The…

DOWN UNDER These photographs show close-up and faraway views of things in Australia. Unscramble the letters to identify what’s in each picture. ANSWERS ON PAGE 33…

This Special Supersmart Issue is here to help boost your brainpower. The next 12 pages are crammed with clever critters, 10 crazy questions you definitely need to know the answers to, and behind-the-scenes secrets from smart Nat Geo explorers. Plus find out more about Izzy Newton and the S.M.A.R.T. Squad: Absolute Hero, a new book about five brainy buds starting middle school together. But first, take this fun personality quiz to see which type of genius you are—and which Izzy character you’re most like. Then start flipping to unleash your inner smarty-pants! GET THE SCOOP ON IZZY AND HER BRAINY BUDS. smartsquadbooks.com…

Answers “Galaxy Quest” (pages 28-29): “What in the World?” (page 30): Top row: surfboards, Great Barrier Reef, kangaroo. Middle row: cassowary, boomerang, Uluru. Bottom row: flag, koala, Sydney Opera House. “Stump Your Parents” (page 32): 1. D, 2. A, 3. B, 4. B, 5. C, 6. C, 7. B, 8. B, 9. A, 10. D. “Find the Hidden Animals” (page 34): 1. C, 2. B, 3. E, 4. D, 5. A, 6. F.…