2021-08-01 National Geographic Kids

NATGEOKIDS.COM • AUGUST 2021

FUN

POSTER

Giraffes!

Best Babysitters Ever

NAUGHTY 30
RACCOONS
COOL
THINGS
ABOUT
TOKYO

Follow the overconfident hamster Zeus
and his kooky critter companions at Mount
Olympus Pet Center on their perilous
quests across the kingdom in this hilarious
series inspired by Greek mythology.

MORE TO DISCOVER

O Check out this fun activity book!
O Listen to the Greeking Out podcast, inspired the
book series—available wherever you get podcasts.
O Watch a cool video, get character profiles, and
check out more fun stuff at ZeusTheMighty.com.
AVAILABLE WHEREVER BOOKS ARE SOLD

IN
THIS
ISSUE

Editor in Chief and Vice President, 12 Spotted! The Babysitters Club
Kids Magazines & Digital
Rachel Buchholz Discover how giraffes stick together to raise their young.

Design Director, Magazines Eileen O’Tousa-Crowson 20 Fun in the Sun DEPARTMENTS
Editorial Kay Boatner, Senior Editor / Digital Producer;
Check out how arctic foxes 4 Weird But True!
Allyson Shaw, Editor / Digital Producer change it up when the 5 Guinness
Photo Shannon Hibberd, Senior Photo Editor weather warms.
World Records
Production Sean Philpotts, Director 24 30 Cool Things 6 Naughty Pets
Digital Laura Goertzel, Director About Tokyo 7 Bet You Didn’t Know!
8 Brain Candy
PUBLISHED BY NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS, LLC After COVID-19 canceled 10 Amazing Animals
Chairman of the Board of Directors the 2020 Olympics, Japan’s 28 Fun Stuff
Peter Rice capital city is back hosting
Editorial Director the Summer Games. PCPOAOGSEOTS1E8L–R19!
Susan Goldberg
Managing Editor, Magazines 26 Destination COVER: ZSSD / MINDEN PICTURES (GIRAFFES);
David Brindley Asteroid BRIAN J. SKERRY / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
IMAGE COLLECTION (PENGUINS); PENINSULA
Advertising Offices John Campbell, Senior Vice President, Scientists attempt HUMANE SOCIETY & SPCA (RACCOONS);
Partnerships, [email protected] to land a robot on an BEHROUZ MEHRI / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
ancient space rock. (OLYMPIC MASCOT). PAGE 3: SEAN CRANE /
Detroit Karen Sarris, [email protected] MINDEN PICTURES (GIRAFFES); IGNACIO
Los Angeles Eric Josten, [email protected] JUST FOR PARENTS YUFERA / FLPA / MINDEN PICTURES (FOX);
New York Hilary Halstead, [email protected] ANDIA / ALAMY (TIRE GODZILLA); MONDO-
For corrections and clarifications, LITHIC STUDIOS (SPACECRAFT ILLUSTRATION)
International Magazine Publishing Yulia Petrossian Boyle, go online. natgeo.com/corrections
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Check out these CHECK OUT
outrageous facts. SEASON 3
OF WEIRD
BUT TRUE!
ON DISNEY+.

BY MICHELLE HARRIS AND JULIE BEER

I’M ALL
EARS!

DROIVFPON5ESRAOWNTSSEUCCOEAAANTRNR1D0DLAUORSCSINEEG. With its

A restaurant In Japan, the GIANT THE WALT DISNEY COMPANY IS MAJORITY OWNER OF NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PARTNERS. GERARD LACZ IMAGES / SUPERSTOCK
on a Spanish EARS, (FOX); TRIFF / SHUTTERSTOCK (UNIVERSE); MARTIN HARVEY / GETTY IMAGES (BULLFROG); RVLSOFT / SHUTTERSTOCK (COCONUT)
island uses a “OK”
a fennec fox
volcano hand signal
means can hear tiny
vent
as a grill. “pay me.” insects moving

underground.

TEHXEPUANNIVDERINSEGIS.

Like many FROGS, A coconut is a
African bullfrogs fruit, not a nut.

EAT THEIR SKIN after

shedding it.

4 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

I’M
FEELING
A LITTLE
CRABBY

TODAY.

KING OF THE CRABS

If normal-size crabs freak you out, you’re definitely not going to like this one. Coconut crabs, the world’s heaviest land
crustaceans, weigh about nine pounds. Plus, they have 10 legs measuring about 36 inches each—stretched out they
could give a large refrigerator a hug! Native to islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, these crabs feed mostly on
decomposing coconuts that have fallen off palm trees. They’re also known for raiding human garbage. No wonder their
nickname is “robber crabs.”

LOBSTER BISQUE MAN
COVERED IN
STICKY NOTES

You could say Tetsuro Degawa is really stuck. The
Japanese comedian placed 674 sticky notes on
himself to earn the record for the most sticky
notes on the body in five minutes, smashing the
previous record of 454. Twenty-two kids assisted
Degawa after his hands were so covered with
stickies he couldn’t place the other notes himself.

$214 SANDWICH

Your parents won’t be making you this treat for lunch.
The most expensive sandwich, called “The Quintessential
Grilled Cheese”(quintessential means “classic”), sells for
$214 at a New York City restaurant. Made with French
bread and rare Italian cheese, the sandwich is flavored
with white truffle butter and served with a South African
lobster bisque dipping sauce. No supermarket mayonnaise
in this fancy snack!

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS (ALL IMAGES). INFORMATION 5AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS
PROVIDED BY © 2021 GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS LIMITED.

Naughty Pockets Whoa—
how’d all
PETS are thIs fIt Into
purr-fect that lIttle
NAME Snickers
for pouch?
FAVORITE ACTIVITY
Back-to-school catnaps.
clothes shopping

FAVORITE TOY Belt
made of yarn

PET PEEVE School
uniforms

I’m so0o good NAME Chewy
lIvIng my thIng I FAVORITE ACTIVITY
coated the Exploring the insides
best dog sInk wIth of pillows
toothpaste. FAVORITE TOY
lIfe. Stuffed teddy bear
PET PEEVE Zippers

NAME Queso
FAVORITE ACTIVITY
Turning on the faucet while the
cat is sleeping in the sink
FAVORITE TOY Soap bubbles
PET PEEVE Cat beds

NAME Sabacca AGE FOTOSTOCK / SUPERSTOCK (SNICKERS); SMRM1977 / GETTY IMAGES (CHEWY);
EVA BLANCO / EYEEM / GETTY IMAGES (SABACCA); CORBIS / SUPERSTOCK (QUESO)
FAVORITE ACTIVITY
Watching humans perform
tricks in the pool

FAVORITE TOY
Pool raft

PET PEEVE
Not being allowed to
drink the pool water

6 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

explosive facts BY PAIGE TOWLER

7about volcanoes

1 Oneeruption74,000yearsago
bigwasso
that its ash might’ve

2 blocked out the sun
Volcanic
eruptions on Io, enough to cause a

one of Jupiter’s 10-year ice age.
moons,can
KRAKATOA,
blast up to WHICH POWER-
FULLY EXPLODED
310 miles. IN INDONESIA
IN 1883, IS STILL
3 ACTIVE TODAY.

Ash from 4

volcanic explosions In 1883,
on Earth can make a volcano erupting

the moon appear in Indonesia was

blue. so loud thatit

6 could be heard in
Australia.
Volcanoes
5 Avolcano
on the dwarf planet
in Tanzania called
oozeCeres are thought to Ol Doinyo Lengai
a mixture of
ice and salt. spews lava

ANDERSEN_OYSTEIN / GETTY IMAGES that turns

7 white.

Scientists believe 7NAT GEO KIDS

that more than a

ocean.millionvolcanoesmightbe
under the

EATING

IN SPACE
ISN’T EASY.

INTERNATIONAL
SPACE STATION

8 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

CHECKNASA / MSFC (INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION); DISCOVOD / SHUTTERSTOCK (BREAD); SERGIY KUZMIN / SHUTTERSTOCK
OUT (HOT SAUCE BOTTLE); SHOWCAKE / SHUTTERSTOCK (WATER BOTTLE); BONCHAN / GETTY IMAGES (SANDWICH)
THE

BOOK!

BREAD HAS BEEN BANNED ON THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION BECAUSE

FLOATING CRUMBS

COULD GET IN ASTRONAUTS’ EYES.

SOME ASTRONAUTS ADD

HOT SAUCE

TO THEIR FOOD BECAUSE
MICROGRAVITY DULLS THEIR SENSE OF TASTE.

ASTRONAUTS DRINK

A FILTERED MIX OF URINE
AND SWEAT.

IN 1965, AN AMERICAN
ASTRONAUT SMUGGLED A

CORNED BEEF SANDWICH

ABOARD A SPACEFLIGHT.

9AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

MAYBE I’LL CLIMBING CAT
SCALE
MOUNT LALAH TAKES
JUST OVER A
EVEREST MINUTE TO
NEXT. CLIMB TO THE
TOP OF THE
16-FOOT WALL.

Rock-Climbing Kitty

LALAH Okinawa, Japan the top—about 16 feet off the ground—
NAPS ON A This cat rocks—and she climbs them, too! in just over a minute.
PLATFORM
ATTACHED The owner of a rock-climbing gym res- What makes Lalah a good climber? “A
TO THE ROCK cued Lalah from a busy street when she cat’s claws are curved so that they can
WALL. was a kitten. As a youngster, Lalah tried hook into surfaces,” cat behavior expert
to scale the rock wall after watching Marci Koski says.“And its long tail may
people climb it, but she was too small to help it balance when walking on some-
reach between the wall’s fake rocks thing narrow—kind of like an acrobat on
(called holds). a tightrope.”

As Lalah grew, she climbed farther but Now Lalah has a new trick: climbing
kept getting stuck in one spot. That’s an exercise rope that hangs from the
when her owner put in an extra hold just ceiling. —McKenna Becker
for Lalah. Two days later, she climbed to

10 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

LIKE MY
COOL

SHADES?

ATTACHED TO THE
CUTTLEFISH WITH
GLUE AND VELCRO,
THE GLASSES FALL
OFF IN A FEW DAYS.

Raccoons ‘Rob’ Bank

Redwood City, California Cuttlefish
These bandits almost pulled off the perfect crime. Early one morning, two Wear
young raccoons snuck into the air ducts of a bank, crashed through the ceiling,
then searched the building for snacks. “They got into everything, including the 3D Glasses
cookies,” bank manager Domingo Huerta says.
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
But the pair were caught—twice. First the raccoons set off a motion-detector One ticket to the shrimp movie,
alarm, and a bit later they were spotted through a window. When animal control please.
officers arrived, the raccoons darted in and out of rooms to escape arrest.
After about 10 minutes of chasing the ringtails, the officers shooed the raccoons Scientists wanted to test if cuttle-
back outside. fish had depth perception, which is
the ability to see how close or far
“Raccoons have adapted to live in a world full of humans,” wildlife veterinarian away something is. So vision scien-
Leslie Reed says.“And these youngsters might’ve learned to associate people and tist Trevor Wardill and a team of
buildings with food.” Hopefully next time these naughty raccoons will stick to researchers attached tiny 3D
robbing birds’ nests and squirrel stashes. —Neil C. Cavanaugh glasses to cuttlefish, then played
images of their favorite snack—
THE RACCOONS IT’S NOT shrimp.
SCAMPERED INTO “TAKE YOUR
AN OFFICE NEAR Wardill would show them two
A WINDOW IN RACCOON differently colored shrimp on a
THE BANK. TO WORK screen, but the glasses would
make it appear as one 3D image.
DAY”? The theory was that changing the
distance between the two images
RACCOONS would change how close or faraway
Redwood City, the shrimp appeared to the cuttle-
California fish. Turns out, the cuttlefish
changed their position in their
CUTTLEFISH tank to strike at the shrimp when
Woods Hole, it appeared to be closer, meaning
Massachusetts they could see in 3D.

CAT But it wasn’t easy to run the
Okinawa, Japan experiment—the cuttlefish just
wanted to pull off the glasses at
first. “You’ve got to be a cuttlefish
whisperer to coax the animal to be
comfortable and happy,” Wardill
says. The secret? Lots of extra
shrimp snacks. —Bethany Augliere

BOULBAKA (LALAH, ALL); PENINSULA HUMANE SOCIETY & SPCA (RACCOONS, BOTH); R. FEORD AND T. WARDILL (CUTTLEFISH) 11AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

SPOTTED!

BabTyhCesliutbters

Discover how giraffes stick
together to raise their young.

BY SCOTT ELDER A MASAI GIRAFFE
MOTHER GROOMS
Curled up next to a fallen tree on the sunny African A CALF IN THIS
savanna, a napping baby giraffe opens its big brown eyes. GIRAFFE CRÈCHE IN
Awakened by the sounds of an approaching animal, the KENYA, A COUNTRY
five-week-old male straightens his coiled neck, scans the IN EAST AFRICA.
area, and freezes: Two lionesses are prowling nearby.

Suddenly a 15-foot-tall female giraffe launches herself in
between the baby and the lions. She places her Frisbee-size
front hooves in front of the cats, and the pair slinks away.

The adult gives the calf a nuzzle. This female is not the
calf’s mother, though—she’s on babysitting duty, keeping
an eye on the baby while its mom takes a break to eat.

Giraffes have a stressful first year of life. “Half or more
don’t survive because they can be preyed on by lions,
hyenas, and leopards,” says David O’Connor, president
of the conservation organization Save Giraffes Now.
Protecting her baby from danger while making sure it
grows big and strong is a lot for one mother to handle.

To make sure that babies reach their first birthday,
when they can better defend themselves from predators,
moms need help from other giraffes. These babysitters
create a day-care-like environment called a crèche. The
protective group teaches the calves how to hang out with
other giraffes—and helps them safely
prepare for life on the savanna.

GIRAFFE DAY CARE TWO SOUTHERN
GIRAFFE CALVES PLAY
A new giraffe mom needs her strength IN ETOSHA NATIONAL
in order to nurse her young, so she eats PARK IN NAMIBIA,
up to 75 pounds of acacia(pronounced A COUNTRY IN SOUTH-
uh-KAY-shuh) leaves a day. That’s hard WESTERN AFRICA.
enough—but even harder if she also
has to keep watch over an excited but
vulnerable calf. That’s where the baby-
sitters come in.

“When female giraffes are raising their
young, they’ll form a crèche, a small herd

12 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

A giraffe’s
heart weighs
as much as a

car tire.

A group
of giraffes
is called
a tower.

of a few adults—some related—and their ON ALERT 24/7 SIA
babies,” O’Connor says.“This way, some of A
the females can look after the calves while Although your babysitter might play
other mothers go feed.” games with you, giraffe babysitters are all AFRICA
business. Their main task is to keep pred-
The crèche helps the mother stay ators away and make sure none of the ATLANTIC INDIAN
strong by giving her time to eat, but it babies wander off. OCEAN OCEAN
also helps the babies grow strong. By
staying corralled in one place instead With their naturally elevated view- Where
of chasing their moms all day, the calves point and excellent vision, the baby- giraffes
conserve energy they need to grow sitters on duty can sometimes spot live
quickly. In just a year, they’ll double in predators up to a mile away, giving them
size to about 12 feet tall and 300 pounds. enough time to warn the rest of the herd.

LORI ELLIS / ALAMY (MAIN IMAGE); YVA MOMATIUK AND JOHN EAST- 13AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS
COTT / MINDEN PICTURES (GIRAFFE CALVES); MARTIN WALZ (MAP)

They might do that via infrasonic kicking up dust as they increase the The bony,
communication, or making noises at distance between the babies and the hairy “horns”
a frequency too low for humans and hyenas. The baby giraffes might cam- on a giraffe’s
other animals to hear. ouflage themselves in nearby bushes, head are called
where their brown spots look like
When danger is spotted, the crèche shadows created by sunlight shining ossicones.
leaps into action. For instance, if a through the trees. Thanks to the
pack of hyenas is stalking too close, crèche’s quick reaction, the babies
the adult giraffes surround the calves will be safe.
and begin herding them toward safety,

TAKING A BREAK FROM
EATING, A RETICULATED
GIRAFFE MOTHER GREETS
HER CALF IN KENYA’S
LEWA WILDLIFE
CONSERVANCY.

WATCH A SILLY MUSIC VIDEO STARRING AFRICAN ANIMALS. CALF LIFE IN THE CRÈCHE
natgeokids.com/august
In the crèche, calves say hello to their
new friends by participating in a nosing
ceremony, in which they rub their noses
together, then quickly jump apart. In
their first several months together, the
babies energetically chase each other
around the savanna before huddling
together to take group naps.

At about a year, the male calves start
bumping each other and wrapping their
necks together. “It looks like a good-
natured tussle, but they’re actually prac-
ticing their dueling skills,” O’Connor says.

Tongue
Time

ACACIA LEAVES Giraffe tongues are 1 NO FINGERS NEEDED 2 LATER, EAR WAX
ARE A GIRAFFE’S long, stretching up to Giraffe tongues are prehensile, Giraffe tongues are so long that
FAVORITE FOOD. 18 inches—about the meaning they can be used like a the animals can use them to clean
length of three pencils fifth limb to grab or grip things. the insides of their ears. (Gross.)
laid end to end. And
these African mam-
mals use their tongues
for more than simply
eating. Check out
some of the weird
ways giraffes use this
body part.

14 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021 SEAN CRANE / MINDEN PICTURES (ADULT AND BABY); MITSUAKI IWAGO / MINDEN PIC-
TURES (HERD); RICHARD DU TOIT / MINDEN PICTURES (TONGUE, SOUTHERN SPOTS INSET)

They’ll need these skills as adults to pro- A CRÈCHE OF MASAI Spotting
tect themselves from unfamiliar giraffes. GIRAFFES RUNS the Difference
THROUGH SERENGETI
ON THEIR OWN NATIONAL PARK IN TAN- Meet the world’s four species
ZANIA, A COUNTRY IN of giraffes—each has its own
Now weaned off of its mother’s milk and SOUTHEASTERN AFRICA. unique spot pattern.
eating acacia, a one-year-old calf stands
at a towering 12 feet tall. That’s good Once the calves are no longer easy Masai Giraffe
news for curious calves that might prey, they’ll leave their babysitters for
wander away from the group to graze. good to roam the savanna. But when Where they live:
For instance, if one notices a leopard they do leave the crèche, young calves Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia
observing it from afar between nibbles, aren’t alone for long. Spot secrets: Masai giraffes have
the giraffe can likely ignore the threat; the darkest spots of all giraffes.
the predator will size up the calf and Just like adult females band together,
probably decide to keep walking. male giraffes form “bachelor herds,” Reticulated Giraffe
where they’ll spend time learning how to
be an adult male so they can fight to find Where they live:
a mate. The females will remain with the Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia
herd but sometimes travel solo until it’s Spot secrets: “Reticulated”
time to have calves of their own. Then means divided, just like this giraffe’s
they’ll rejoin their family herd, this time separated patches.
as moms—and babysitters.
Northern Giraffe

Where they live:
Northern giraffes are
found in several countries
across West, Central, and East Africa.
Spot secrets: Northern giraffes
lack spots on their lower legs.

Southern Giraffe

Where they live:
Southern giraffes are
found in several countries
across southern Africa.
Spot secrets: Southern giraffes
have blotchy, star-shaped spots that
extend all the way down their legs.

3 ANTS, BEWARE 4 SO. MUCH. SPIT. WIN THIS
A giraffe can jam its tongue into Giraffe tongues produce gobs of
its nostrils to retrieve ants that slobber to protect themselves SAFARI TRUNK!
might swarm from tree branches. from toxins in the leaves they eat.
GO ONLINE
TIM FITZHARRIS / MINDEN PICTURES (MASAI SPOTS INSET); SUZI ESZTERHAS / MINDEN PICTURES (RE- JULY 19-26.
TICULATED SPOTS INSET); ZSSD / MINDEN PICTURES (NORTHERN SPOTS INSET); CHRIS WARE (COMIC) natgeokids.com

/august

15AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

Giraffeon a Raft 2

How conservationists rescued Constructing
giraffes stuck on a flooding island a ‘Gir-raft’

PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMI VITALE Conservationists realized the only
way to get Asiwa back to the main-
land was by boat—or better yet, a
custom-made raft that would be
the perfect size to fit a giant animal.
Local craftspeople went to work on
something tall enough to hold an
adult-size giraffe. The solution was a
strong steel pen welded to the top
of 60 floating barrels.

FLOODED ISLAND

1

Trapped Eight near-threatened Rothschild’s giraffes—a subspecies of northern

giraffes—were living on a small island in the middle of a lake in Kenya, a country in East
Africa. But heavy rains caused the lake’s water level to rise rapidly and flood the island,
leaving the giraffes with little land to roam. One female named Asiwa was marooned on
a small sliver of land. “Since giraffes can’t swim, Asiwa was stuck,” says David O’Connor,
president of conservation organization Save Giraffes Now. The other giraffes weren’t in
as much danger. “Asiwa was the most vulnerable, so she was our first priority,” he says.

4

Setting Sail Asiwa had never been on a boat before (obviously!), so the

rescuers were worried she might panic and kick during the one-hour trip. But
it was smooth sailing. “She was well-behaved during the voyage,” O’Connor
says. “The sail across the lake was very peaceful.”

16 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

3

All Aboard

Now the rescue team had to figure out how to convince Asiwa to get on the raft. They came up with
a clever idea: delicious mangoes the workers hoped she would follow to the boat like a trail of bread
crumbs. But Asiwa didn’t follow them very far. “She was still wary of the barge,” O’Connor says. So the
team sedated the giraffe with a tranquilizer dart, blindfolded her to keep her calm, then guided her
with ropes onto the raft. “She walked like a puppy on a leash right onto the barge,” O’Connor says.

5 This article is part of
Planet Possible, National
Home Sweet Home Geographic’s celebration
of Earth and the people,
After the raft reached the places, and animals that
shore, workers removed make it so amazing. To
Asiwa’s blindfold and opened find out how you can
her pen. Then she walked make a difference in our
into her new home—the Ruko world, go online.
Community Conservancy,
which includes a 4,400-acre natgeokids.com/planet
giraffe sanctuary. “To go from
living on less than one acre to 17NAT GEO KIDS
having 4,400 acres to roam
is incredible,” O’Connor says.
“Asiwa’s finally safe.” More
good news: All of her friends
from the island have now
joined her at the sanctuary.



Gentoo penguins raise their chicks in Antarctica and nearby islands.
Awkward waddlers on land, gentoos can swim up to 22 miles an hour, faster than any diving bird.

Mom and Dad take turns finding food for the hatchling and caring for it in their rock nest.





Fun
Suinnthe
Check out how arctic foxes

whechnatnhgeewiet autpher warms.BY JASON BITTEL

A fuzzy brown-and-cream fox darts between snow geese nesting in the summer
grass on the Arctic tundra. It’s on a mission to steal as many goose eggs as it can

» without getting pecked. The geese squawk and snap, but the fox nabs an egg
and runs off before coming back for another.
You might think of the arctic fox as a white-coated, cold-weather champion
that can keep comfy at temperatures around minus 40°F. But when the weather
warms, these animals change things up.
“Summertime is awesome from the fox perspective,” arctic fox researcher
Jim Roth says. “It’s a time of plenty for them.” Read on to discover five
surprising things about the arctic fox’s summer lifestyle.

NEW LOOK But in the spring, parts of the
arctic fox’s icy tundra habitat melt
“Arctic foxes are probably the to reveal brown sand, soil, and bogs.
cutest animals that exist,” says So over a few weeks in the spring,
Love Dalén, a scientist at the the foxes shed their long, thick,
Swedish Museum of Natural superwarm winter coat.
History. But their adorable traits
aren’t just for fun: In the snowy Underneath, they’ve grown
winter, their fluffy white fur lighter fur in shades of cream,
camouflages them from predators gray, brown, and black that will
like golden eagles and red foxes. blend in with the spring and
(Red foxes are moving north into summer environment, helping
arctic fox territory as climate them hunt—and avoid being hunted.
change alters the habitat.)

20 IGNACIO YUFERA / FLPA / MINDEN PICTURES (FOX); MARTIN WALZ (MAP).
BRIAN J. SKERRY / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION (PENGUINS, PAGES 18-19)

An ARCTIC OCEAN
arctic fox
weighs about NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN EUROPE ASIA PACIFIC
as much as a AMERICA AFRICA OCEAN
small dog.
PACIFIC SOUTH INDIAN
These OCEAN AMERICA OCEAN
foxes are the
only members of the AUSTRALIA
dog family that have
fully furred

footpads.

ANTARCTICA

Where
arctic foxes
live

Most
arctic foxes
that live near
coastlines are
blueish black
year-round.

21AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

HERE COME THE PUPS Arctic
foxes sometimes
In the winter, adult arctic foxes live alone. walk behind polar
But in April, each fox settles down with its bears to pick up
lifelong mate; by May, the pair welcome
their new pups.“When you walk up to an their dinner
arctic fox den, you hear a lot of barking,” scraps.
Dalén says. That’s because arctic foxes
have between five and 10 pups in a litter. One local
(Red foxes typically have just four or five Indigenous
pups at a time.) word for arctic fox,
svala, means
Roth says that the number of pups “unafraid.”
in a litter depends on how much food is
available that year. During the winter,
many arctic foxes survive by eating small
rodents called lemmings; if the foxes eat
a lot of lemmings, they’ll have more pups.

Although most pups will be on their
own by the time winter returns, some
will come back the following spring and
summer to help their parents babysit
the next litter. That’s no surprise: You try
having almost a dozen siblings!

MONTH-OLD HOUSE HUNTERS
ARCTIC FOX PUPS
PEEK OUT OF THEIR With almost a dozen pups to look after in
DEN ON WRANGEL the spring and summer, arctic foxes need
ISLAND, RUSSIA. a safe place to house the youngsters. But
digging a den in the ground can be tough
work: In early spring, the dirt can still be nobody has to wait in line when a golden
frozen. So some arctic foxes prefer to eagle dives out of the sky.
reuse dens rather than make new ones.
SUMMER SNACKS
Some dens are up to 300 years old,
sheltering generation after generation of In the summer, birds such as snow geese
arctic fox families. And their home isn’t and Ross’s geese migrate to the tundra to
any old hole: Arctic fox dens can be about lay their eggs in nests on small mounds.
as big as a tennis court and have up to a For an arctic fox, an egg is like fast food
hundred entrances. This allows the large in a to-go container. But the birds only
family to escape predators quickly— incubate(or sit on) their eggs for about
three weeks. So arctic foxes have figured
out a way to gorge on egg treats even
after the birds are gone.

Using stealth and speed, the predator

Four Seasons of Fur

Winter Spring Summer Fall

Thick, white fur helps keep The foxes rub against rocks Brown fur helps arctic Foxes’ coats transition
arctic foxes camouflaged to remove the old white fur, foxes blend in with their back to winter white as
and warm in the snow. revealing a thinner coat. surroundings. temperatures drop.

22 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021 SERGEY GORSHKOV / MINDEN PICTURES (PUPS NEAR DEN); ARTERRA PICTURE LIBRARY / ALAMY (PUPS PLAYING);
STEVEN KAZLOWSKI / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (WINTER); BERND ROHRSCHNEIDER / FLPA / MINDEN PICTURES
(SPRING); IGNACIO YUFERA / FLPA / MINDEN PICTURES (SUMMER); NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY / ALAMY (FALL)

Baby Name Game

Young foxes are called pups, kits, 1
and whelps, but other baby animals
have odder names. Match the ador-
able animal to its baby name.

(ANSWERS BELOW)

cria pup Hare
leveret cygnet
puggle eyas
kid

23

THREE-MONTH- Swan 5 Echidna
OLD SIBLINGS 7 Goat
PLAY-FIGHT IN 4 Hawk
NORWAY.
Shark
will sneak up on a nest, snatch an egg,
then run off to tuck it beneath a rock or 6
bury it in a shallow hole. Then the fox goes
back for more—one arctic fox will stash Llama
up to a thousand eggs in a season! This
way, when other munchies are hard to find PLAY ARCTIC FOX SNOWBOARDING!
in winter, the fox can survive by digging natgeokids.com/august
up its secret stockpile of snacks. ANSWERS: 1. leveret, 2. cygnet, 3. puggle, 4. pup, 5. kid, 6. cria, 7. eyas.

GROWING A GARDEN

The Arctic tundra is mostly brown and
gray in the summer—except in one spot.
The land on top of each arctic fox den is
covered in green grass and colorful wild-
flowers.“You can see a den from miles
away because it stands out so much,”
Dalén says.

Why? Adult foxes often bring lemmings,
bird eggs, seal pups, and other morsels
back to the den for the pups to chow on.
Nutrients from the food return to the
soil through scraps and poop, making the
surrounding dirt a great place for plants
to grow. Plus all those underground tun-
nels allow the land above to thaw faster,
which also helps the tundra sprout. The
patch of green even attracts other ani-
mals: Plant-eaters like reindeer often
stop by the dens for a quick meal.

HIROYA MINAKUCHI / MINDEN PICTURES (1); KONRAD WOTHE / MINDEN PICTURES (2); D. PARER AND E. PAR- 23AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS
ER-COOK / MINDEN PICTURES (3); SHANE GROSS / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (4); SUMIO HARADA / MINDEN
PICTURES (5); MARK TAYLOR / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (6); ROLF NUSSBAUMER / NPL / MINDEN PICTURES (7)

2 3 Asiatic black bears 4
About 5,000 of the
are sometimes spotted Thecity’s Imperial
medals in the 2021 Palace—the
Summer Olympics alongthe borders primary residence

will be made out of of the capital city. of the emperor of Japan—

recycled cell phones. 6 Tokyo’s domed base- is only open to the public
ball park is nicknamed
5 two days a year:
“The Big Egg” because
of its white roof. February 23, the

emperor’s birthday,

andJanuary 2 to

celebrate the new year.

The shinkansen, or 7
bullet train, was the world’s About 90 percent of all
first high-speed train
flying squirrel
when it was introduced in
1964, the last time the species—including the
Olympic Games were
held in Tokyo. Japanese giant flying

squirrel—exist only in Asia.

CoolTHINGS
ABOUT
9 10 11
8 Bicyclists A popular local treat
More than Tanuki—animals that
in Tokyo can park in is the “Tokyo
banana.” These 100,000 trees look like raccoons
“cycle trees,”
cream-filled cakes come surround the peaceful but are small relatives
automatic, multilevel of foxes—can be
in the original banana Meiji Jingu shrine
parking lots spotted throughout
flavor, as well as honey, in the middle the city.
that hold of the city.
up to coffee, and maple.

6,000

bikes.

12 13 Tokyo Tower 14 15
Tokyo
24 Some looks like the was once a The Japanese
Eiffel Tower
3,000 tires small giant hornet
in Paris,France, fishing
have been made village is the world’s largest
into swings, but is nearly hornet, with a wing-
tunnels, and a named span of nearly 3 inches.
sculpture of 30 feet That’s longer than
Godzilla at taller. Edo. your pinkie finger.

Nishi-Rokugo Park.

BEHROUZ MEHRI / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES (1); ALESSANDRO DI CIOMMO / NURPHOTO VIA GETTY IMAGES (2, 26); I WALL /
SHUTTERSTOCK (3); KHD / SHUTTERSTOCK (4); TUPUNGATO / SHUTTERSTOCK (5); BEEBOYS / SHUTTERSTOCK (10); ISTOCK / GETTY

IMAGES (11); ANDIA / ALAMY (12); LEUNGCHOPAN / SHUTTERSTOCK (13); ALASTAIR MACEWEN / GETTY IMAGES (15);

24 Visitors can see a 25 Special floorshave been installed at some 26
30-foot-long subway stations to convert the energy
tapeworm at the city’s from foot traffic into electricity used to power Helper robots
Museum of Parasites. lights, signs, and turnstiles. will greet athletes and
visitors at the Summer
27 Games to assist with

Vending machines around bags and give directions.
the city sell shoes, umbrellas,
neckties, and more. 28 30 The 50-story Mode
Gakuen
Giant salamanders Cocoon
Tower
live in streams through-
looks just
out Japan, including
Tokyo. They can live for like what

nearly80 years. its name

29 implies:

a cocoon.

Hundredsof fireflies GET MORE OLYMPIC FACTS.
natgeokids.com/august
are released in June

during Tokyo’s

Firefly Festival.

CYOGINAN / GETTY IMAGES (16); VIDEOWOKART / SHUTTERSTOCK (17); YOSHIKAZU TSUNO / AFP VIA GETTY
IMAGES (21); SEAN PAVONE / ALAMY (22); KAEDEENARI / ALAMY (23); JACOB JUNG / CONTRIBUTOR / GETTY
IMAGES (27); KHLUNGCENTER / SHUTTERSTOCK (29); NATTAKIT JEERAPATMAITREE / SHUTTERSTOCK (30)

ASTEROIDDESTINATION
Scientists attempt to land a robot on an ancient space rock.

BY STEPHANIE WARREN DRIMMER | ART BY MONDOLITHIC STUDIOS

For two years, an unmanned how life started on Earth. combination of remote cam- says. Suddenly they had to
spacecraft traveled through That’s why scientists wanted eras, lasers, and other tools worry about the spacecraft
space, headed toward the aboard OSIRIS-REx, scientists smashing into a big rock or
asteroid Bennu. This chunk to obtain a sample of Bennu— discovered some surprising getting buried in rubble.
of rock is tiny compared to but they knew it was going to things about Bennu.
other objects in the solar be tricky. So last October, TRICKY LANDING
system, barely taller than OSIRIS-REx attempted to do Unlike other asteroids
New York City’s Empire State something no spacecraft had visited by spacecraft, Bennu’s By fall 2020, scientists were
Building. But scientists think ever tried: The robot would insides appeared to have ready to attempt snagging a
it holds big secrets. play an intergalactic game some empty spaces—sort sample. Their target: a site
of tag with the asteroid, of like Swiss cheese. Bennu between the rocks no bigger
Bennu is an ancient space bouncing off Bennu like a might even have a hollow than a few parking spaces.
rock. “Bennu is a leftover pogo stick. Here’s how scien- section as large as two foot- Scientists sent instructions
piece from when the sun, tists got it done. ball fields. Scientists think to the craft and hoped that
the planets, and the rest of this hollowness could be the OSIRIS-REx computer
the solar system formed 4.5 SPINNING because Bennu is basically brain could complete the
billion years ago,” says plane- ROCK PILE a giant pile of rocks held mission.
tary scientist Jason Dworkin, together by its spin.
who’s on the team that sent After a 205-million-mile jour- The plan was to use a puff
the NASA spacecraft—called ney, OSIRIS-REx approached Scientists also learned of nitrogen gas to blow the
OSIRIS-REx—on its mission. Bennu on December 3, 2018. that Bennu’s surface has sample into a collection
Studying pieces of Bennu But before they could try to rocks the size of jumbo jets. device. Once the pogo-stick-
might reveal new information scoop up a sample, scientists “We thought it was going to like contraption touched
about how the solar system on Earth needed to study the be smooth, like other aster- down on Bennu, it had only a
was formed … and maybe even asteroid to figure out the oids, but it was covered in few seconds to vacuum up a
best way to do that. Using a enormous boulders,” Dworkin sample before bouncing back

TOP RIGHT, AN ILLUSTRATION NASA / GODDARD / UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (BENNU INSET)
OF THE SPACECRAFT OSIRIS-
REx PREPARING TO LAND ON
THE ASTEROID BENNU

26

into space. And the spacecraft PROTECTING EARTH
carried just three canisters FROM ASTEROIDS
of gas—so it had just three
chances to get a sample. Bennu’s orbit crosses Earth’s. And there’s a very
small chance—about 1 in 2,700—that it could hit
But ... success! On October our planet in the late 22nd century. Scientists
20, 2020, images from OSIRIS- hope that studying Bennu’s samples will
REx showed the spacecraft help them figure out new ways to protect
had carried out its mission. In Earth from a deadly asteroid strike.
fact, it grabbed up to 2.2
pounds of material, more rock Some ideas include blowing it up with
than scientists had initially a nuclear bomb and ramming it with a
hoped for. spacecraft. Or, scientists could spray part of a
small asteroid like Bennu with something that
The spacecraft is now flying reflects light, such as zinc oxide. As light bounces
home with its priceless cargo, off the asteroid’s surface, it would push it out of BENNU
due to arrive in September our planet’s path.
2023. Scientists will then
study about a quarter of the TEST YOUR SPACE SMARTS!
sample but stow away the natgeokids.com/august
rest. That way future scien-
tists can make their own dis- 27AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS
coveries. “Perhaps a kid who is
reading about Bennu now will
reveal even more of the aster-
oid’s mysteries,” Dworkin says.

OSIRIS-REx’s
name is partly inspired

by the Egyptian god
Osiris.(The “REx” refers

to the type of x-ray
technology used by

the spacecraft.)

STUFF

GAMES, LAUGHS, AND LOTS TO DO!

Which

Are You Most
Like?

PLAY! 1 What’s your 2 3 Which of these

The ancient Greeks favorite hobby? What’s your sounds like your
believed that their A. reading books favorite class in ideal breakfast?
lives were influenced B. playing video games
by powerful gods C. giving fashion advice school? A. an omelet
and goddesses. Which D. collecting rocks A. all of them
of these legendary E. protecting animals B. world history B. a protein bar
mythical leaders F. playing sports
do you think you’re C. music C. a parfait
most like? D. foreign
language D. a breakfast burrito
Circle an answer
to each of these ques- E. gym E. cereal and fruit
tions, then add up your F. science
score to find out which F. eggs, bacon, sausage,
Greek god or goddess waffles, and pancakes
you have the most in
common with.

SCORING 10–15 points 16–23 points 24–32 points

A=1 B=2 C=3 D=4 E=5 F=6 You’re like wAYoareru.s’r, egolikdeof You’re like
It’s OK Athena, Aphrodite,
goddess octttpoTthoohemhapeyttepirlotaasepiulytoltl,ronaevaawyitnaidseegdyerginoasoyy.ituonegoutsrafotelmciskoteemins g- goddess of
if your answer of wisdom. love and
doesn’t really beauty.
match your You love to read and
personality— learn new things. Cold You believe that life
this quiz is just winter days are totally is better when
your thing because beauty is all around
for fun! you can curl up and you. You’re a good
read a good book. friend as well as a
fashionable dresser.

28 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

4 Pick a way to get 5 What’s your favorite 6 Pick a month NEVESHKIN NIKOLAY / SHUTTERSTOCK (CONTROLLER); PHOTASTIC / SHUTTERSTOCK (BOOKS); JOE GOUGH / SHUT-
around. of the year. TERSTOCK (OMELET); LEN GREEN / SHUTTERSTOCK (CAR); M. UNAL OZMEN / SHUTTERSTOCK (ICE CREAM); ALEXAPICSO /
A. bicycle place in your A. February SHUTTERSTOCK (PUMPKIN); ANDY ELKERTON / SHANNON ASSOCIATES LLC (OWL, HELMET, LIGHTNING BOLT)
B. motorcycle town or city? B. August
C. sports car C. April
D. limousine A. the library D. October
E. horse E. June
F. monster truck B. the sports arena F. July

C. the gift shop

D. the fire station

E. the park

F. city hall

7 How do your friends describe you? 10
A. smart D. moody Which quality
is most important
B. outspoken E. outdoorsy for a person to have?
A. knowledge
C. caring F. bossy B. physical strength
C. a loving heart
8 What’s your favorite 9 Pick an ice cream. D. sympathy for others
weather?
A. snow, perfect for curling up A. Neapolitan. You get E. courage
three flavors in one! F. the ability to lead
with a good book B. rocky road
B. sunny and hot C. a unicorn sundae WIN THE
C. sunny with a gentle spring D. pomegranate BOOK!
E. dairy-free sorbet
breeze F. a banana split
D. gloomy and rainy
E. a bright fall day
F. thunder and lightning

33–41 points 42–51 points 52–60 points

You’re like You’re like tZYheouuuns’dr,egerloi.kdeof Check out more games
Hades, Agworitldeddmaenissis,moafls. like this in Zeus the
god of ittawhY’wngsLouedeoihunakndewtedltnshoeeit,elvthrrlyhrestweotagiinuoratienugrtwttmmclassehhkgrewaeaeoonsnilcftiwdh.ftthharoeregneg. Mighty Activity Book,
under- the Sdoworuemittadhemotjuiomasrbtseotishnuyettohaluienviiwnmgialdls. from the Zeus the Mighty
Aaycloltutivhiinetigoeuos toydodousohdraopkee.ep series about a hamster
world. that thinks he and his
ctDohaminrkfgosarngt.diYvgoeluyorooumy friends are Greek gods
cHfoaauvlrolosrewit!eeehno,loidfay? and goddesses!

For a chance to win a
copy, go online July 7–14.
natgeokids.com/august

29AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

30 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021 D DY I AT K SWMOR LMAIGSOFN

TA S C Y R L UONEGT O H T- I A R
OLABONL

EHRSSOAE R C H RY E G U N DOT U H THINK PINK
SOLBSMOS
These photos show close-up views
of pink things. Unscramble the letters
to identify what’s in each picture.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 35

TOP ROW (LEFT TO RIGHT): © FERRERO-LABAT / ARDEA; FUSE / GETTY IMAGES; BHOFACK2 / GETTY IMAGES. MIDDLE ROW
(LEFT TO RIGHT): MIK122 / GETTY IMAGES; JUNIORS BILDARCHIV / ALAMY; TOM MEAKER / SHUTTERSTOCK. BOTTOM ROW
(LEFT TO RIGHT): WIN INITIATIVE / GETTY IMAGES; AEDUARD / GETTY IMAGES; © BIRGITTE WILMS / MINDEN PICTURES

PLAY MORE FUNNY FILL-IN!
natgeokids.com/ffi

GOLD
RUSH

BY KAY BOATNER

Ask a friend to
give you words to
fill in the blanks
in this story
without showing
it to him or her.
Then read out
loud for a laugh.

and I were exploring the bottom of the when we found a shipwreck.

friend’s name body of water

And not just any shipwreck—the , which disappeared in the . We swam

celebrity historical era

through the to see what we could find. My favorite part was an old ballroom with a(n)

liquid piece of furniture

hanging from the ceiling, lots of old-fashioned , and plenty of swimming

noun, plural animal, plural

around. Best of all, we found a large wooden . We struggled to open it, and

noun something gross

billowed out when we finally lifted off the top. But inside were lots of

color noun, plural

and sparkly jewelry. While we were our discovery we heard a noise. A giant had

verb ending in -ing animal

wrapped its around the fortune! Uh-oh. Looks like this treasure’s already been claimed.

adverb ending in -ly body part, plural

DAN SIPPLE

31AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

JAMIE KINGHAM / GETTY IMAGES (PICNIC); STUDIO 1ONE / SHUTTERSTOCK (CAMPING); SYDA PRODUCTIONS /
SHUTTERSTOCK (SLEEP); JGI / TOM GRILL / GETTY IMAGES (READ); YANLEV / SHUTTERSTOCK (SWIM)

32 NAT GEO KIDS 9%

SLEEP IN

15% HAVE A6%
JUSTRFEOARDFUN PICNIC

break?on summerthing to doyour favoriteWhat’s 15%
GO CAMPING

55%

SWSIMPLMASINHGINPOAOL

LAUGH OUT
LOUD

“THE VET SAYS I HAVE HAY FEVER.”

“HE’S A KNIGHT OWL.”

CHRIS WARE “IT’S NOT TOO BAD, PLUS I GET “I COULDN’T FIND A
ALL KINDS OF TV CHANNELS.” LONGER PAPER STRAW.”

33AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

ART ZONE RAINFOREST ANIMAL

Check out which rainforest animals
are Nat Geo Kids readers’ favorites.
Ready to swing through the trees?

S Jaguar W Golden Lion Tamarin
Douglas W., 11 Tinley M., 10
Laurel, Maryland Lawrence, Mississippi

Okapi X

Daxton W., 9
Washington,
Missouri

34 NAT GEO KIDS • AUGUST 2021

Draw your favorite Nat Geo Kids— Include your name, address, phone number, date of birth, a title for your drawing, a statement that
endangered
animal. Send us Endangered Art Zone it is your own work, and the name of your parent or guardian. Your parent or guardian must sign a
your
original P.O. Box 98002 release for publication if your illustration is selected. Submissions become the property of National
drawings:
Washington, DC Geographic Partners,and all rights thereto are transferred to National Geographic Partners.Submis-

20090-8002 sions cannot be acknowledged or returned. Selection will be at the discretion of Nat Geo Kids.

W Scarlet Macaw
Patrick L., 11
Allen Park, Michigan

Chameleon X

Kirra F., 15
Vista, California

W Poison Dart Frogs
Andrew S., 7
Larchmont, New York

S Toco Toucan
Kaia T., 14
Salt Lake City, Utah

S Ring-Tailed S Hummingbird Answers
Ellesandra L., 11
Lemur Colleyville, Texas “What in the World?” (page 30):

Earlie M., 12 Top row: flamingos, hot-air balloon, doughnut.
Columbiana, Ohio Middle row: worms, tongue, cherry blossoms.
Bottom row: katydid, crystal, seahorse.

35AUGUST 2021 • NAT GEO KIDS

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