G I R A F F E
- Giraffes are the tallest animals in the world, so they are able to reach food where other animals cannot. They use their long necks to reach leaves in the highest branches of trees.
- When baby giraffes are born, they are already taller than many grown-up humans!
- At nearly twenty inches in length, a giraffe's long, black tongue wraps around tree branches and pulls off the leaves.
- Since it's very hard for them to bend over and lay down on the ground, giraffes can sleep standing up. A giraffe lays down to sleep less than two hours a day.
C H A M E L E O N
- Chameleon are lizards that can change the shade of their skin to almost any color in the rainbow. Scientists believe they change their color based on their mood or in reaction to changes in light and temperature.
- Chameleon can turns their eyes separately in any direction. They can look behind them without turning their heads and even look forward with one eye and backward with the other!
- Chameleons also one of the few types of lizards that have prehensile, or grasping, tail. They use this special tail to wrap around branches as they climb trees.
- Chameleons have very long, sticky tongues that they can quickly flick in the air to catch insects. Their tongues are sometimes twice the length of their bodies.
V O L C A N O
- A volcano is a mountain that forms around a hole, or vent, in the ground. This hole is so deep that it connects to the hot liquid rock that's far below Earth's surface!
- When enough pressure builds up, the hot liquid rock bursts up and explodes through the top of the volcano. This liquid rock is called LAVA.
- Lava is a very hot liquid that can reach temperatures of MORE than 2000 degrees Farenheit! The word "volcano" comes from the name of the Roman god of fire, Vulcan.
- The largest volcano on Earth is Hawaii's Mauna Loa. It is about six miles tall from the sea floor to the opening. However, the largest volcano in our solar system is Olympus Mons on the planet Mars. It is about seventeen miles tall !
S P R I N G
- In some parts of the world, the weather gets warmer when spring arrives, helping to melt away winter's snow and ice.
- In spring, the days grow longer, which means it stays light outside later into the evening.
- There are many flowers start blooming. Trees that have rested all winter long begin growing leaves and opening buds. Spring often brings lots of rainy days, which are good for helping plants grow.
- Birds, frogs, and many other animals are bord in spring. It's also a busy time for henoybees, which buzz from flower to flower collecting the nectar they need to make honey.
