Wonders of Nature

Wonders of Nature

Introduction The world is full of strange and interesting animals. Some animals look unusual or have special abilities. Let's look at some of these strange animals and learn what makes them wonders of nature. Archerfish An archerfish squirts drops of water at an insect or spider to knock it off a leaf that hangs over the water. The archerfish forms a tube with its tongue and the roof of its mouth and then shoots drops of water through the tube. When a bug falls into the water, the archerfish eats it. Because the archerfish has a flat body, it can swim right under its prey and get into position without being noticed. Sometimes an archerfish leaps out of the water to catch a bug instead of squirting water at it.

Trap-Door Spider A trap-door spider lives in a sticky underground tunnel with a hidden door. The spider's body produces silk, which it mixes with dirt to make the door. The silk in the door helps keep water out of the spider's tunnel when it rains. When an insect passes close to the door, the trap-door spider senses its movements and jumps out to grab it. Female trap-door spiders stay near their tunnels for their entire lives. Their offspring leave to build their own tunnels nearby.

Beaver Beavers chew through tree trunks with their sharp teeth. Beavers use tree trunks, branches, mud, clay, and stones to build dams in rivers and streams. The dams create ponds where beavers build their homes, which are called lodges. By building dams, beavers create wetlands, which are habitats for other mammals as well as for birds, fish, turtles, and frogs. Wetlands protect the environment by preventing erosion, soaking up floodwater, and acting as filters to clean water.

Three-Wattled Bell Bird The three-wattled bell bird lives in Central America. Its call sounds like a large, heavy bell ringing. Female three-wattled bell birds are green, and males are brown with white heads. Three long, pointed flaps of skin called wattles grow from the male's beak. The bell bird scares away enemies with its loud call and by shaking its wattles. The bell birds' favorite food is the wild avocado. Bell birds migrate to different elevations because avocados ripen at different times of year at different heights in the mountains.

Bower Bird Bower birds live in Australia and New Guinea. To attract female birds, male bower birds spend up to ten months building tall piles of twigs and branches around the bases of trees. They decorate these piles, called bowers, with shells, feathers, flowers, and fruit. Sometimes they even paint the walls with plant juice. Bower birds have also been known to use film cases, toothbrushes, and other objects made by people as part of their decorations. When the male birds finish decorating, the female birds choose the bowers they like best.