In the animal kingdom, these mothers rule! Check out five marvelous moms of the wild.
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Hold your own family cooking competition.
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Launching itself six feet above the ocean’s surface, a fish called a mobula ray does a flip before plunging back into the water with a splash. The fish is traveling with about a hundred other rays that also jump, twirl, and belly flop as they move through the sea. These marine animals are expert acrobats. But their moves remain a mystery to scientists. WINNING AT SWIMMING Mobula rays live in warm oceans throughout the world. These fish have a pair of winglike fins that can extend up to 17 feet. The fins help the rays rocket from the sea when they leap. Scientists aren’t exactly sure why all nine species of mobula rays do these jumps. But they think it may be to show off for a potential mate, get rid of parasites, or communicate. Mobula rays are as good at swimming as they are at jumping. As they travel, they move their fins up and down to steer through the water. Even baby mobula rays, born at 25 pounds with their fins curled, are gifted gliders. The babies, called pups, immediately unfold their fins and swim off. FAMILY DINNER Mobula rays tend to swim in schools of a hundred or more fish, especially while feeding. These marine animals snack on tiny fish and small sea creatures called zooplankton. They eat by scooping prey into their mouths with the floppy lobes that hang from either side of their heads. When the rays find an area rich with food, they make sure to share the grub with the group. These jumping fish make us want to leap for joy! Text by Meghan Modafferi, NGS Staff
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A caracal crouches in the tall grass, eyeing a bird perched on a nearby shrub. Suddenly the wild cat bursts from her hiding spot and bolts toward the fowl. As the bird takes off, so does the caracal. She leaps up six feet and swats her prey with her paw, causing it to fall to the ground. Then the cat scoops up the bird in her mouth. It’s dinnertime. SOLO CAT Caracals live on rocky hills or grasslands in the Middle East, Africa, and south Asia. The animal is one of more than 30 species of small wild cats. Most caracals grow about three feet long and can weigh over 40 pounds. The feline is usually most active after sunset. And this cat likes its me-time—adults spend much of their days alone, hunting for birds, rodents, rabbits, and gazelles. HUNTING AND HUGGING The body of a caracal is built for sneak attacks. Caracals are superfast, and with footpads cushioned by stiff fur they make practically no noise as they sprint toward targets. The animals’ strong hind legs allow them to jump six feet in the air—the height of a tall adult human. Tufts of hair on the tips of a caracal’s ears may enhance their hearing, making it easier for the cat to listen for prey. These hunters have a softer side too. Mom caracals (which usually have three babies in each litter) cuddle with their young. And the babies cuddle each other too. See, even ninjas need to snuggle sometimes. Text by April Capochino Myers
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Snow leopards are extreme athletes with some wizard-like abilities. Find out more about these big cats’ amazing skills.
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Adélie penguins breed and raise their young on the continent of Antarctica. In September and October—springtime in that part of the world—thousands of Adélies gather on the rocky Antarctic shoreline. The huge gatherings are called colonies. Adélie penguins build nests by scooping out areas in the ground. The female usually lays two eggs in the nest. Adélie penguin eggs hatch in December. In the Antarctic winter, the Adélie penguins live at sea. Both parents care for the eggs. While one stays behind keeping the eggs warm and safe from predators, the other parent heads out to sea to eat. They feast mainly on krill, tiny shrimplike animals, but also eat fish and squid. Parents take turns caring for their youngsters after they hatch until the chicks are about three weeks old. At that point, both parents may leave to forage for food while the chicks gather in the safety of a large group of other young penguins. These groups of young Adélies are called crèches. By March, when Adélie chicks are about nine weeks old, their downy baby feathers have been replaced by waterproof adult feathers. They plunge into the sea, and start hunting for food on their own. Like other penguin species, Adélies are excellent swimmers. They’re powerful and graceful in the water, with torpedo-shaped bodies that pierce through the water. Their modified wings help propel them through water instead of air. These birds are swimmers, not fliers. Check out the book Penguins vs. Puffins for more about these amazing birds! Watch a YouTube playlist all about penguins.
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Wrap your head around these awesome facts.
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Temperatures may cool down during the fall season, but the fun is just heating up. Find out why autumn is excellent.
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You may not have seen a skunk in your neighborhood, but you’ve probably smelled one. Their smelly spray, called musk, is not easy to ignore! Skunks live all over North and South America, in rural areas, suburbs, and the city. But if you see one, watch out! The spray, which comes from two glands near the base of the skunk’s tail, can hit a target 12 feet (3.7 meters) away. If you are lucky, you may get a warning before being sprayed. If threatened, skunks stamp their front feet, lift their tail, and growl. Some species of skunk even spring into a handstand before spraying, which puts the skunk’s warning markings on full display. If the person or animal doesn’t retreat, the skunk aims the spray at the eyes, allowing the skunk to escape. The spray can remain on its target for days. Skunks are nocturnal, which means they search for food at night and sleep in dens lined with leaves during the day. Their favorite foods include fruit and plants, plus insects, bird eggs, small rodents, and birds. Birds like the great horned owl prey on skunks. Scientists believe it’s because the birds don’t have a very good sense of smell, which makes the skunk’s spray useless in an attack.
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Slowly stalking down the snowy hillside, the Amur leopard watches its prey through the trees. In the clearing below, a sika deer munches on tree bark, one of its few remaining food sources during the cold Russian winter. The leopard crouches, its body so low to the ground that its belly fur brushes the snow. Suddenly it bounds and springs forward, tackling the deer from 10 feet away. It’s dinnertime.
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