Animals have become extinct for many reasons. The most famous example, the extinction of the dinosaurs, may have been the result of an asteroid hitting Earth or an Ice Age freezing them to death. Prehistoric mammoths and saber-toothed cats may simply have been hunted to extinction. Today, animals such as elephants, zebras, tigers and leopards, some wolves, and many kinds of primates may still face extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, hunting, poaching, and pollution. This fascinating book introduces and explains the designations of endangerment from extinct in the wild to vulnerable. Children are also introduced to fossils as a way of learning about animals that lived long ago.
Furry, creepy, and seemingly sneaky, rats have a bad reputation for spreading disease and stealing food from under our noses. They are quite comfortable living in a number of environments, from swamps, to mountains, to basements. Color images show different species of rats, while informative text explains what a species is. A special section on pest control explains how rats were controlled in the Middle Ages and how they are controlled today. A section on lab rats even explains how these mammal pests have helped humans fight disease.
Ever get the icky sensation that your skin is crawling? Like tiny little bugs are scampering over your arms, your legs . . . your face? Well there really may be bugs on you, ones that are too small for you to see. Feasting Bedbugs, Mites, and Ticks examines the tiny, sometimes microscopic, insects that make their homes in our homes and on our bodies. Vibrant text and macro images put these creatures into hyper focus. A special popular culture section explains the origins of the old adage: sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite.
Termites can literally eat you out of house and home! Carpenter ants will use your home like a wood lot, taking what they want when they want, but without paying! Termites and Other Home Wreckers examines pests that chew, build, and bore their way into homes. Creepy images show the insects at different stages of the life cycle, and a family tree section lets you know who is related to whom.
Imagine being struck by lightning. ZAP! You could be killed on the spot. So why do we have something as powerful and dangerous as electricity running through our homes? Because our modern lives now depend on it, that's why! Learn all about the most disgusting and dreadful aspects of electricity. From whizzing electrons and static shocks to frying flies and freaky frog legs, this book is full of yucky, painful and fascinating facts. You can even test your nerve with some easy (and painless!) experiments.
Imagine yourself falling... falling... falling and never reaching the ground. Well that's exactly what our planet is doing, and its taking you with it! Learn about all the disgusting and dreadful aspects of gravity. From blackouts caused by g-forces to toilet-troubles in space, this book is full of yucky, painful and fascinating facts. You can get your hands dirty too with some easy (and painless!) experiments.
This informative and beautiful book looks at apex or top predators - animals that are not eaten by other animals in their habitats - and why these animals play a very important role in keeping food chains in balance. Students are introduced to the energy pyramid, which shows that there are fewer top predators than other animals and gives reasons why many of these animals are endangered. Humans, the most powerful top predators, are the biggest threat to these essential endangered animals.
They feed on us, make their homes on us, and generally make our lives miserable. They are horrible guests, sometimes spreading deadly diseases. These blood-sucking parasites are lice and fleas and they are pests of the first order! This book delves into the tiny world of ectoparasites that prey on humans and animal hosts. Learn how lice and fleas cant live without us and how humans have been battling the itchy critters, often without much success, since the dawn of time. Special sections give information on the plague-producing history of rat fleas and how to combat the scourge of head lice.
By the time Superstorm Sandy had hit New York City on October 22, 2012, it had left a trail of death and destruction across the Caribbean and the eastern seaboard of the United States. Affecting 24 U.S. states, Sandy is the second-costliest superstorm in United States history. This informative book follows the timeline of the superstorm and features personal accounts by those who experienced the destruction in many New York City and New Jersey neighborhoods. Topics include how Superstorm Sandy developed, the response by state and federal relief agencies, the effects on air travel, subway transit, electricity, and the New York Stock Exchange, and the recovery and rebuilding.
This intriguing book looks at the remarkable abilities of plants and animals, which need to be studied to make our environment more sustainable. People have already used birds as models for constructing airplanes, but there are so many other models that have not been replicated. Living things live at the depths of oceans and at the tops of the highest mountains, harness the energy of the sun to make food, make oxygen from carbon dioxide, walk on water, build structures that are air-conditioned, and make materials stronger than steel without ever polluting or damaging the environment. They have done all the things we wish we could do. This book will make young scientists aware of the super powers of nature and may inspire some to find ways to change the future of Earth!
All living things die. Fortunately, nature has cleaners that eat decomposing things. Scavengers, detrivores, and decomposers are three groups of living things that use the leftover energy in things that have died. From hyenas and vultures eating carcasses, to mushrooms feeding on rotting wood, to dung beetles rolling in animal waste, this book has it all in vivid color!
Maps can show more than just cities - they can also show you what the landscape looks like in different areas. Physical maps use colors and symbols to identify landscape features like forests, plains, valleys, deserts, mountains, and bodies of water. Full-color maps and accessible text help readers understand the specific features of physical maps.
Camouflage is blending into a natural environment, but mimicry is pretending to be another living thing to survive. Mimics use shape, pattern, sound, smell, and/or behavior to fool predators or prey. This amazing book will thrill readers of all ages with photographs of some of the masters of mimicry. Some are simply unbelievable! Mimics such as mantises, leaf insects, snakes, frogs, butterflies, and ocean animals will make readers wonder if what they are seeing is truly real!
Do you want to know what the weather is like in different parts of the world? Climate maps can help. In this book, readers will learn to read climate maps to discover different climate zones, microclimates, and the average temperature and precipitation levels of places around the world. They will also identify the features that characterize climate maps and how these maps can be used to track climate change.
This comprehensive title introduces young scientists to the properties of metals. Through clear, concise text and supportive images, readers will discover that most metals are shiny, ductile, malleable, and conductive. Hands-on experiments encourage readers to investigate the structure and properties of metals.
Full-color images and engaging text combine to help readers understand the properties of non-metals. Non-metals make up a small, but fascinating part of the periodic table. Readers will learn how to identify non-metals and how they differ from other elements.
Kids will be shocked to learn that arthropods outnumber all other animal species combined! They will also be fascinated by the variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and behaviors found among these invertebrates. Labeled diagrams and startling close-up photography will introduce concepts including the similarities and differences among insects, arachnids, myriapods, and crustaceans, the functions and features of an exoskeleton, molting, metamorphosis, and other interesting body facts, and the crucial function of arthropods in food chains and webs.
Marsupials are the only mammals that have a pouch on their body in which they carry their young. Most of these amazing animals live in Australia, where they have adapted to the harsh conditions of life in the outback. In What is a Marsupial? children will learn astounding facts about marsupials, including the important differences between marsupials and placentals, how kangaroos, koalas, wombats, Tasmanian devils, opossums, and bilbies are related, how marsupials reproduce and raise their young, the ways in which they hunt and feed, and why some marsupials are in danger.
Whales, manatees, seals, dolphins, and sea otters are just some of the many mammals that have evolved over time in order to survive in the water. From Arctic waters to tropical seas, vivid photographs and surprising facts about these salt water mammals reveal how these air breathing creatures have adapted to the water, their underwater senses, what they eat and how they raise their young, what cetaceans, pinnipeds, sea otters, sirenians, and polar bears are, marine zoos, and the dangers of pollution, commercial fishing, and poachers.
Amphibian means two lives since these animals spend the first part of their lives underwater and the rest on land. From flying tree frogs to slithering caecilians, kids will be captivated by this slimy animal group in What is an Amphibian? Young readers will discover the amphibian family tree, an amphibian's body, special skin and senses, how they move and what they eat, water- versus land-dwelling species, their life cycle and parental care, and defending themselves.
One of the three basic states of matter, this fascinating title provides insight into the properties of gases. Although most gases cannot be seen, smelled, or tasted, they are always present. Readers will discover what gases are, how they react when heated or under pressure, and the gases that make up the atmosphere.
This informative title introduces readers to periodic table of elements. Clear, concise text and supportive images explain how the periodic table was created and its significance in the scientific world. Readers will discover what the table reveals about the distinct properties of each major group of elements and how the elements are used in everyday life.
While humans are different from monkeys, apes, and lemurs, they are all primates and are similar in many ways. For example, primates make many sounds that humans make, such as sneezes, burps, hiccups, and even laughter! What is a Primate? identifies the members of the primate family tree and describes how they are different from each other. This book describes reproduction, communication, and feeding, the complex social structures of primates such as chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans, and gibbons, Old and New World monkeys, and how people are different. what is being done to rescue threatened primates from destruction by their human cousins
Plants provide people and animals with food, shelter, and even oxygen. Plants help us live and grow, but how does a plant grow? Where do plants grow? What is a Plant? introduces young readers to a variety of plant types, including ferns, carnivorous plants, mosses, and trees. This fact-filled book explains photosynthesis, different methods of plant reproduction, how seeds germinate and grow, which types of plants grow in different climates, and how plants defend themselves.
Children continue to be fascinated by these prehistoric creatures. What is a Reptile? covers all orders of reptile from 10-foot long Komodo dragons to tiny, inch-long gecko lizards. Featured are such amazing reptile facts as reptile bodies and senses, their hunting and self defense techniques, reptile homes and babies, the different kinds of snakes, lizards, chelonians, crocodilians, and tuataras, and the dangers to reptiles.
