Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2024 i National Geographic Kids

DON’T BE FOOLED by the European hedgehog’s button nose, bright eyes, and itty-bitty paws—they’re not exactly the cute-and-cuddly critters you might think they are. “They’re hunters—and they’ll pounce on just about anything they come across,” says zoologist and hedgehog researcher Sophie Lund Rasmussen. These foot-long predators prowl the fields, gardens, parks, and other wild spaces of Europe and Central Asia. Read on to discover six ways these “hedgies” are surprisingly tough. 1 SNAKE ATTACK Who would win in a battle between a European hedgehog and a venomous snake? The answer might not be what you think. In one fight in which “the snake started it” (according to Rasmussen), a hedgehog rolled into a ball to protect itself from the striking viper. But each time the snake tried to bite, it…

Hot gas hisses out of a mountaintop as forked lightning flashes in a dark cloud above. For scientists living on Sakurajima (sah-kur-ah-JEE-mah), a volcano in southern Japan, it’s just a typical day. One of the world’s most active volcanoes, the 3,665-foot-tall Sakurajima usually erupts about 200 times a year—and that’s a good thing for researchers. “Unlike less active volcanoes, scientists can spend more time on Sakurajima,” volcanologist Cassandra Smith says. “It’s what we call a ‘lab volcano.’” All that research is leading to better detection of eruptions at other volcanoes around the world. Discover what makes Sakurajima such an electric location for scientists. CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP Sakurajima’s eruptions are usually harmless. Instead of flowing lava, it typically spews volcanic ash and small amounts of gas. (Volcanic ash is tiny…

SOUNDS LIKE FUN A word that sounds like the noise it describes is called an onomatopoeia. (Say ah-nuh-mah-tuh-PEE-uh.) And these koalas, kangaroos, and wombats are definitely making some noise as they play at this adventure park! Find 15 things in the scene that match the onomatopoeias below. (The first one has been done for you.) Answers ”Sounds Like Fun” 1. crunch, 2. swoosh, 3. cackle, 4. snap, 5. hiss, 6. clap, 7. squish, 8. creak, 9. sniff, 10. buzz, 11. boing, 12. splash, 13. drip, 14. thud, 15. scratch.…

Got some change jangling in your pocket? Spend your dough however you want, but beware of these myths about moolah. From train-wrecking coins to phony flapjacks on a bill, these tales aren’t worth a penny. MYTH A train will derail if it rolls over a coin. Don’t believe this urban legend—no one has ever reported that a coin caused a train to fly off the rails. Each freight train car weighs about a hundred tons (that’s about as heavy as 40 African elephants), so a train easily rolls right over a .09-ounce penny, for example. The only thing that’s totaled is the coin: It’s flattened completely. (But don’t try it. You should never hang out on or near railroad tracks.) MYTH Ripped money is worthless. Did your dog chew your…

1. Fill in the thought balloon. 2. Cut out the entire picture (or make a photocopy of it). 3. Mail it along with your name, address, phone number, and date of birth to Nat Geo Kids, Back Talk, P.O. Box 96000, Washington, DC 20090-6000. Selection for publication in a future issue will be at the discretion of Nat Geo Kids. What do YOU think this howler monkey is thinking? FROM THE MAY 2023 ISSUE Surf’s up! Nolan C., 10 Youngsville, North Carolina This is so much better than walking bear-foot. Sarayu P., 12 Vernon Hills, Illinois Eek! A spider! Lorraine L., 10 Peoria, Arizona My ride’s here! Max P., 10 Dingmans Ferry, Pennsylvania The floor is lava! Nathan G., 12 Eau Claire, Wisconsin How do I get down? Niaz S.,…

HUGE HORNS Other goats should avoid butting heads with Albino. That’s because he holds the record for the largest horn spread on a goat. From tip to tip, Albino’s horns span nearly five feet. (That’s about the height of an 11-year-old.) The goat’s owners say Albino takes charge when guarding and protecting the baby goats, called kids. But otherwise he mostly keeps to himself. Guess he doesn’t want to toot his own horn … er, horns. BIG OL’ HULA HOOP Yuya Yamada didn’t jump through any hoops to set a record … but he did spin a really big one. He holds the record for the largest hula hoop spun by a man. Yamada created the nearly 18-foot-wide hoop, then completed three full revolutions around his waist. We totally understand…

AS NIGHT FALLS, a hedgehog peeks its nose through a doorway far too small for any human to use. This five-inch-tall secret passage was made just for hedgehogs. Over the past few decades, European hedgehog habitat has been carved up as people turned natural public spaces into private, walled-off gardens. Although hedgehogs can thrive in gardens, they need plenty of roaming room to find food, mates, and places to hibernate. But walls, fences, and other barriers block the hedgehogs’ movements and reduce their population. European hedgehogs are now vulnerable to extinction in the United Kingdom. So local conservationists came up with a solution. “We make small gaps in and under people’s fences that basically let the hedgehogs into their gardens,” says Grace Johnson, hedgehog officer for the Hedgehog Street campaign,…

1 A LADYBUG MIGHT EAT MORE THAN 5,000 INSECTS IN ITS LIFETIME. 2 Fruit flies have TRAVELED with astronauts into space. 3 A HUNGRY GLOWWORM GLOWS BRIGHTER THAN A FULL ONE. 4 An ANT-EATING ASSASSIN BUG PILES ITS VICTIMS onto its body to scare predators. 5 ALCON BLUE CATERPILLARS ARE RAISED BY ANTS UNTIL THEY COCOON. 6 Red pigment produced by COCHINEAL SCALE INSECTS is used to color some lipsticks. 7 GRASSHOPPERS HAVE SPECIAL ORGANS IN THEIR HIND KNEES THAT STORE ENERGY FOR JUMPING. 8 THE POSTMAN BUTTERFLY DEVELOPS ITS OWN POISON BY EATING TOXIC PLANTS. 9 THE OLDEST KNOWN LEAF INSECT FOSSIL IS 47 MILLION YEARS OLD. 10 Periodical cicadas are LISTED AS INGREDIENTS IN SOME PIZZA RECIPES. 11 TO BREATHE UNDERWATER, THE WATER SCORPION USES A SNORKEL-LIKE TUBE…