natgeolittlekids.com • MAY/ JUNE 2023 Fun With Bugs! LOOK INSIDE: ANIMAL CARDS!
Whydoyou thinksome rabbitshave longears? A rabbit’ s long ears help it hear better. The ears twitch to catch sounds so the rabbit knows other animals are nearby. IMAGEBROKER / ALAMY LONG EARS ANIMALS 2 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3
Look at each picture in the top row. Find the differences between it and the one below. What IsDifferent? © JERRYWAY / DREAMSTIME (BUTTERFLY); AQUARIAGIRL1970 / SHUTTERSTOCK (CHAIR); © D. HURST / ALAMY (LUNCH BOX); EWA STUDIO / SHUTTERSTOCK (GROUP OF FRUITS); © FOODFOLIO / ALAMY (PEAR) SORTING N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 3 Find one difference. Find two differences. Find three differences.
That’s Cool! Meet the sifaka. Sifakas spend most of their time in trees eating fruit. To move on the ground, the sifaka hops while holding out its arms. It looks like it is dancing! Back in the tree, the sifaka can jump from branch to branch. SAY MY NAME: sih-FAH-kuh PETE OXFORD / MINDEN PICTURES (HOPPING); KONRAD WOTHE / MINDEN PICTURES (HANGING) NATURE 4 M AY / J U N E 2 0 2 3
What intheWorldAreThese? —UTTONS —OMATO —OSE —RAYON —ROG —PPLE —IRE TRUCK —AGON —O-YO Name other things that are red. TOP ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): TOPSELLER / SHUTTERSTOCK; PROMKAZ / SHUTTERSTOCK; RICHARD WILLIAMSON / SHUTTERSTOCK. MIDDLE ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): KRIACHKO OLEKSII / SHUTTERSTOCK; ALFREDO MAIQUEZ / SHUTTERSTOCK; BOZENA FULAWKA / SHUTTERSTOCK. BOTTOM ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): © STOCKDISC CLASSIC / ALAMY; © D. HURST / ALAMY; © STOCKDISC CLASSIC / ALAMY. NAMING N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 5
ANIMALS THIS BUG IS HUNGRY! ANN AND STEVE TOON / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (ON 6 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3 LEAF); PAUL STAROSTA / GETTY IMAGES (IN GRASS)
Some prayingmantises are the sizeof your thumbnail. Others are as longas your hand! A praying mantis is an insect that looks like a leaf. Pretending to be a plant helps it surprise bugs it wants to eat. HIDING N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 7
FHM / GETTY IMAGES (EYES); JAMESBENET/ GETTY IMAGES (TURNING HEAD); STEPHEN DALTON / MINDEN PICTURES (EATING) Someof these insects canfly. Its big eyes watch for crawling, wiggling, or flying bugs to eat. It turns its head left and right to look around, just like you can.(Other insects cannot do that!) LOOKING TO THE RIGHT EYE 8 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3
Apraying mantis eatsbugs likebees,flies, moths, and crickets. The praying mantis grabs prey with its long, spiny front legs. Then it gobbles its lunch, usually headfirst! YUMMY BEE N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 9
MATCHING BIRD BEAKS The shapeof abird’sbeakhelps it eat. Use the cluesbelow tomatcheachbird with how ituses itsbeak. • My beak drills into trees to find bugs. • My beak scoops fish from the water. • My long, thin beak dips into flowers to drink nectar. • My big, strong beak cracks nuts. • My hooked beak tears food into smaller bites. HUMMINGBIRD MACAW ALLEN J.M. SMITH / ALAMY (HAWK); JIRI SLAMA / BIA / MINDEN PICTURES 10 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3 (WOODPECKER); ANDY ROUSE / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (HUMMINGBIRD);
N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 11 If you hadabeak, how would youuse it? PELICAN RED-TAILEDHAWK WOODPECKER PETE OXFORD / MINDEN PICTURES (MACAW); THIERRY VAN BAELINGHEM / BIOSPHOTO / MINDEN PICTURES (PELICAN)
In winter, a weasel has white fur that blends in with snow. But in spring, the snow melts. A WEASEL GETS A NEW COAT These weasels live inforests, meadows, and marshes. ANIMALS WINTER COAT
N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 13 KUZMIN MIKHAIL / SHUTTERSTOCK (BIG PHOTO); VICTORTYAKHT / GETTY IMAGES (SMALL PHOTO) That’ s when white fur falls out and new brown fur grows in. WHITE WINTER FUR FALLING OUT BROWN SPRING FUR GROWING IN
14 It can hide from animals that want to eat it. The weasel can also surprise animals it wants to eat. With its new coat, the weasel blends in with rocks and plants. Weaselshide fromhungry hawks,foxes, andsnakes. SPRING COAT HIDING 14 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3
Meet some of the relatives of weasels. WEASEL RELATIVES MINK SEA OTTER BADGER OTHER WOLVERINE BLICKWINKEL / ALAMY (SPRING COAT); ILIUTA GOEAN / DREAMSTIME (HIDING); MICHAEL GORE / FLPA / MINDEN PICTURES (SEA OTTER); DUNCAN USHER / MINDEN PICTURES (WOLVERINE); FREDERIC DESMETTE / BIOSPHOTO / MINDEN PICTURES (BADGER); KRYS BAILEY / ALAMY (MINK)
SOUNDS LIKE FUN! Say the names of all the pictures. Tap all the pictures that start with a sh sound. Then scratch all the ones that start with a ch sound. SHELL SHEEP SHOE CHAIR IGOR KOVALCHUK / SHUTTERSTOCK (SHELL); BESTPIX / SHUTTERSTOCK (SHOVEL); DE2MARCO / SHUTTERSTOCK (CHALK); VASILYEV ALEXANDR / SHUTTERSTOCK (SHEEP); DEJAVELINKA / SHUTTERSTOCK (CHICKEN); READING 16 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3
Howmany things canyou findinyour roomthat start witha chor shsound? SHIRT SHOVEL CHICKEN CHIPMUNK CHALK AABEJON / GETTY IMAGES (SHIRT); YEAMAKE / SHUTTERSTOCK (CHAIR); DN1988 / SHUTTERSTOCK (SHOE); ERIC ISSELEE / SHUTTERSTOCK (CHIPMUNK) 17
AN OSPREY CATCHES A FISH An osprey sits on a branch. The bird looks for fish swimming below. It sees a fish glide through the water. The osprey hovers in the air to get a better look. INGO ARNDT / MINDEN PICTURES (TOP); CHAITHANYA KRISHNAN / GETTY IMAGES (1); CANON_BOB / GETTY IMAGES (2); NATURE 18 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3
The osprey dives toward the water. Its sharp claws grab the fish. Got it! The osprey flies away with the fish. Back in the tree, the bird eats its meal. 3 4 BRIAN E KUSHNER / SHUTTERSTOCK (3); HARRY COLLINS / GETTY IMAGES (4) TALONS FISH Osprey claws are alsocalled talons. N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 19
EXPLORING Scientists sent robots called rovers to Mars. The rovers send back messages to Earth about rocks and other things they find on Mars. Mars is a planet. Sometimes you can see Mars in the night sky. It is very far away. THIS ROVER IS NAMED CURIOSITY. DAVID A. AGUILAR (MARS ART); NASA / JPL-CALTECH (ROVER); NASA / JPL (ROCK) MARS ROCK MOON OF MARS SPACE 20 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3
It takes about eight months for a spaceshipto travelfrom Earthto Mars. MOON OF MARS
ANIMAL This puzzle is missing three pieces. Point to each piece that’s not in the puzzle. Use your finger to draw a line from that piece to where it fits in the puzzle. FINDING 22 M A Y / J U N E 2 0 2 3
Canyou count all the pieces inthis puzzle? Editor in Chief, Kids and Family, Magazines and Digital Rachel Buchholz Senior Design Editor, Magazines Eileen O’Tousa-Crowson Senior Photo Editor Shannon Hibberd Editorial Ruth A. Musgrave, Contributing Writer Art Dawn McFadin, Contributing Designer Production Sean Philpotts, Manager Digital Laura Goertzel, Senior Manager PUBLISHED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS, LLC EVP and General Manager David E. Miller Editorial Director, National Geographic Nathan Lump Managing Editor, Magazines David Brindley International Publishing Yulia Petrossian Boyle, Vice President Jennifer Jones, Manager, International Business Development; Leanna Lakeram, Account Manager Finance Jeannette Swain, Director Tammi Colleary-Loach, Senior Manager, Rights Clearance Joey Wolfkill, Senior Business Specialist Consumer Marketing John MacKethan, Director, Print Operations Mark Viola, Senior Manager, Circulation Planning Janet H. Zavrel, Manager, Circulation Planning Publicity Anna Kukelhaus, [email protected] Caitlin Holbrook, [email protected] NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS, Issue 98, May / June 2023 (ISSN 1934-8363), is published bimonthly by National Geographic Partners, LLC, 1145 17th Street N.W., Washington, DC 20036-4688. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS, P.O. Box 37545, Boone, IA 50037. If the Postal Service alerts NGP that your magazine is undeliverable, NGP has no further obligation unless it receives a corrected address within two years. SUBSCRIPTIONS: United States, $30.00; to Canada, $37.00; elsewhere, $48.00; all in U.S. funds. Single copy: United States, $6.00; to Canada, $10.00; elsewhere, $15.00; all in U.S. funds. In Canada, Agreement number 1000010298,return undeliverable Canadian addresses to NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC LITTLE KIDS, P.O. Box 819 STN Main, Markham, ON L3P 9Z9 Parents: Follow us on Twitter @NGKids and like us on Facebook. PRINTED ON100%PEFC-CERTIFIED PAPER— PEFC/29-31-58—Pleaserecycle. SUZI ESZTERHAS / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY (LEOPARDS); ROD WILLIAMS / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (COVER) LEOPARD CUBS N A T I O N A L G E O G R A P H I C 23
wild cards BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN COPYRIGHT©2023NATIONALGEOGRAPHICPARTNERS,LLC
GEORGE KARBUS PHOTOGRAPHY / GETTY IMAGES FUN FACTs Dolphins talk to each other using squeaks, whistles, clicks, and squawks. bottlenose dolphin
wild cards FLYING SQUIRREL
TONY WU / NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY FUN FACTs When a flying squirrel stretches flaps of skin between its legs, the animal can glide through the air. flying squirrel
wild cards GHOST CRAB
© LUCIANO CANDISANI / MINDEN PICTURES FUN FACTs Ghost crabs live on beaches. The crabs move and turn so fast that they can be hard to see. ghost crab
wild cards ARMADILLO
© ALL CANADA PHOTOS / ALAMY FUN FACTs Most of an armadillo’s body is protected by a hard, bony skin covering. armadillo
wild cards FUNGUS BEETLE
© MICHAEL & PATRICIA FOGDEN / MINDEN PICTURES FUN FACTs Fungus beetles like to eat mushrooms. fungus beetle
wild cards BADGER
© ALL CANADA PHOTOS / ALAMY FUN FACTs Badgers often eat worms. They slurp worms into their mouths as if they were spaghetti. badger
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