What Built This

What built this? Written by Marcy Aboff. Focus question. What are some reasons animals build?

这是谁建造的呀？ 作者：玛西·阿博夫 思考问题 动物建造东西都有哪些原因呢？

Animal Builders. Picture a home big enough to hold 400 or a home made of nothing but paper. How about an underground tunnel with rooms to eat and sleep in? These are real amazing structures, but the builders aren't human. Many animals build homes for themselves or they're young. Some animals build to protect themselves or to catch prey. Some build to attract a mate.

动物建筑师。 想象一下，一个能住下400个成员的家，或是一个只用纸做的家。 那带有吃饭和睡觉房间的地下隧道呢？ 这些都是真实存在的超神奇建筑， 但建造它们的可不是人类。 很多动物会为自己或是幼崽建造家园。 有些动物建造东西是为了保护自己或是捕捉猎物， 还有些是为了吸引配偶。

Prairie dog towns. Prairie dog burrows are like real towns. Their maze of underground tunnels has different rooms for sleeping, eating, and even going to the bathroom. Family groups stay together in separate areas or neighborhoods that include many entrances. Prairie dogs spend a lot of time building and fixing their homes.

草原土拨鼠的小镇 草原土拨鼠的洞穴就像真正的小镇。 它们像迷宫一样的地下隧道有着不同的房间，分别用来睡觉、吃饭，甚至还有专门上厕所的房间。 不同的家族群体住在各自分开的区域里也就是带有很多出入口的“社区”。 草原土拨鼠会花很多时间建造和修整它们的家。

Sociable weaver bird nests. The more the merrier for these friendly birds. They build the biggest nests of any birds. Their nests can hold up to 400 birds. They use large sticks and dry grass for the nest's roof and sides. Inside, separate living areas are lined with softer grasses and fibers.

群织雀的鸟巢。 对这些友好的小鸟来说，当然是越多小伙伴越开心啦。 它们会建造所有鸟类里最大的鸟巢， 最多能住下400只群织雀。 它们用粗树枝和干草做鸟巢的屋顶和外壁，鸟巢内部， 各个独立的生活区都铺着更柔软的草和植物纤维。

Termite mounds. Tiny termites can build structures that are taller than three people standing on top of each other. They build their mounds from mud, chewed wood, and saliva. The walls have tiny holes for fresh air. The termite mounds even have a chimney and a cellar. The termites build many storage areas for wood, their main food source.

白蚁丘 小小的白蚁能造出比三个人叠起来还要高的建筑。 它们用泥土、嚼碎的木头还有唾液来建造白蚁丘。 墙壁上有很多小洞用来通风，让新鲜空气进来。 白蚁丘里甚至还有烟囱和地窖。 白蚁还会造很多储藏区来存放木头，那可是它们的主要食物来源。

pufferfish circles. These male fish create detailed sand art to attract females. They flap their fins on the sea floor to form a large round pattern. Then they decorate the outer part of the circle with shells. If a female likes the circle, she lays her eggs in the middle.

河豚的圆圈图案 雄性河豚会创作出精致的沙画来吸引雌性河豚。 它们在海底拍动鱼鳍，做出一个大大的圆形图案。 接着它们会用贝壳装饰圆圈的外圈。 如果雌性河豚喜欢这个圆圈，就会在圆圈中间产卵。