One Million Things_ 2nd edition-compressed

one

million

things

A VISUAL

ENCYCLOPEDIA

DK INDIA DK UK
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A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW

www.dk.com

one

million

things

A VISUAL

ENCYCLOPEDIA

Contributors and consultants:
Chris Barker, Hazel Beynon, Kim Bryan, Laura Buller,
Jack Challoner, Peter Chrisp, Mike Goodman, Derek Harvey, Andrea
Mills, Simon Mumford, Kristina Routh, Giles Sparrow, Carole Stott,
Richard Walker, Claire Watts, Jon Woodcock, John Woodward

1 2
8 Human body 60
Nature 10 Cells 62
12 Skeleton 64
Plants Muscles 66
Trees 14 Body systems 68
Flowers 16 Respiration 70
Fruits 18 Blood 72
Fungi 20 Skin, hair, and nails 74
Animal kingdom 22 Brain 76
Plankton 24 Senses 78
Insects 80
Insect anatomy 26 Reproduction 82
Fish 28 Genetics 84
Feeding 30 Nutrition 86
Crustaceans 32 Health
Amphibians
Life cycles 34
Attack and defense
Reptiles 36
Mollusks
Shells 38
Birds
Eggs 40
Movement
Living together 42
Mammals
Sleep 44
Skulls
46

48

50

52

54

56

58

3 4
88 Space 126
Science and Universe 128
technology 130
90 Galaxies 132
Elements 92 Stars 134
Molecules 94 Constellations 136
Acids and bases 96 Sun 138
Chemical reactions 98 Planets 140
States of matter 100 142
Water 102 Moons 144
Materials 104 Comets 146
Gravity 106 Meteorites 148
Dynamics 108 Telescopes 150
Magnetism 110 Space exploration
Electricity 112 Space travelers
Electromagnetic
114
spectrum 116
Color 118
Machines 120
Technology 122
Robots 124
Transportation
Scientists

Contents

5 6
152 Ppelaocpelse and 190
Earth 154
192
Planet Earth 156 Africa 194
Plate tectonics 158 Asia 196
Volcanoes 160 North America 198
Earthquakes 162 South America 200
Mountains 164 Europe 202
Oceans 166 Australasia
Rocks and and Oceania 204
206
minerals 168 Antarctica 208
Gems 170 Flags 210
Metals 172 Maps 212
Fossils 174 Alliances 214
Dinosaurs Economy 216
Weather 176 The state 218
Erosion 178 US presidents 220
Rivers 180 Religion 222
Caves 182 Festivals 224
Climate zones 184 Cities
Farm crops 186 Extreme living
Environment 188

78
History 226 Art and culture 252
228 254
Prehistory 230 Art 256
First civilizations 232 Architecture 258
Classical world 234 Symbols 260
Medieval life 236 Language 262
American civilizations 238 Literature 264
Seafarers 240 Media 266
War 242 Photography 268
Revolutions 244 Theater 270
Industrial Revolution 246 Movies 272
Disease 248 Dance 274
Money 250 Music 276
20th century Orchestra 278
Sports

Reference 280

Nature 282

Human body 284

Science and technology 286

Space 288

Earth 290

People and places 292

History 294

Art and culture 296

Index 298

ALBATROSS COLONY

Every year, black-browed
albatrosses return to the Falkland
Islands in the Atlantic Ocean to
breed. This albatross colony is
one of the largest in the world,
with more than 500,000 birds.
Each pair produces a single egg.

8

Nature

9

1 GERMINATION PLANTS delSistcubraopytnepwgolaerrttaiebftrhstpieksrseteuphsetisnur,irgeid
More leaves are
A bean plant begins life as a seed All green plants use the energy of sunlight to make sugary produced as the plant
with two halves, called cotyledons. carbohydrate food from water and carbon dioxide in the air. continues to grow
In spring when the weather is mild, This is why they grow well only in sunlit, moist places. The
the seed starts to absorb water food fuels growth and is used to make cellulose—the tough,
through a minute hole in its outer fibrous tissue that helps support all the various parts of the
coating (the testa). The seed swells, plant, from its stems and leaves to its flowers.
and about three days later a root
grows to hold the plant in place, and
a shoot appears above the ground.
This process is called germination.

2 ROOTS

The plant’s roots absorb water from 4 LEAVES
the soil. The water is used by the
leaves to make food. The water The leaves are the plant’s food
also contains dissolved mineral salts, factories. They act like solar panels,
such as nitrates and phosphates, as the green chlorophyll enables the
which are essential for growth. plant to absorb the energy of sunlight
and use it for photosynthesis—the

3 STEM process in which the plant takes
carbon dioxide from the air and
The strong stem of the plant combines it with water drawn up
supports its leaves in the sunlight. by the roots to make sugar. Oxygen
It also contains bundles of tubes or is also produced in the process and
veins. These allow water containing released into the air.
dissolved nutrients to flow up from

the roots to the leaves and also 5 TRANSPIRATION
carry sugary food from the leaves
to other parts of the plant. As sunlight warms a plant, water in the

leaves is lost as water vapor, through

pores called stomata. The leaves then Cofitryoslntecldeeoaanvbseosbvoeecfotthmheeegptrlhaoenutn,d

take in water from the stem, which in

turn draws more water up into the

plant from the roots. The water carries

frotmesftuahn, agwSriehdaeindcchodiaspbtcraococavttleeelecrretidasdtithbey nutrients from the soil with it.
a Shoot sprouts from
the testa to form
a root, with two
seed leaves, called
cotyledons, at its tip

2
1

10

fromthbeNutdeiwspsthloeafatvsfheosorosmptsraotut Green chlorophyll in leaves
absorbs solar energy and
uses it for photosynthesis

5

4 Growing point of bean Leaves make sugar,
plant is at top of main which mixes with water
Stem is kept upright stem, between leaf stalks to make sap that flows
at first by water pressure to other parts of plant
but is gradually stiffened
with tough cellulose Cofotygolredaodfwttohetnarhsttbrcfuouuenet ltlfsaeaeialnlavoerlfsyfform Sowiliistphwrtohaaventiedcmrheaoasinrntahdgseonepuualrtancrneidetonfts

Root network anchors
3 plant in the soil as well

as absorbing water
and nutrients

11

TREES Holly

Trees are the tallest, heaviest, and oldest of all living rs
things. The California giant sequoia known as Hawthorn fowe
General Sherman weighs approximately 6,000 Blue Atlas pin
tons—30 times as much as the biggest animal, the English oak e needles
blue whale. The oldest living bristlecone A monkey puzzle
pine tree, which also grows in California, tree has leathery,
is nearly 5,000 years old. Yet even these sharp-pointed
ancient giants can still produce tiny scales
seeds that grow into new trees.
Arolla pine needles
LEAVES Oak leaves

Like all green plants, trees Acorns are
absorb sunlight through their oak seeds
leaves and use its energy to turn
air and water into sugar. A tree’s

leaves are its food factories.

Japanese maple

NEEDLES AND SCALES

Thin leaves make food efficiently,
but they are easily damaged by
hot sun or frost. So many trees that
grow in very hot or cold places have
thicker, tougher needles or scales.
Robina has a pinnate
compound leaf

Horse chestnut
has a palmate
compound leaf

COMPOUND
LEAVES

Most trees have
simple leaves of various
shapes, but some have
compound leaves, made

up of many leafets.
These either sprout from

a long stalk (pinnate)
or fan out from a single

point (palmate).

12

FRUIT

The fowers of some
trees turn into juicy
fruits that contain seeds.
If birds eat the fruit, the
seeds pass through them
unharmed and are
scattered far away.

Apple blossom

FLOWERS Yew berries

All trees produce fowers, Apples are big,
but some may not be obvious feshy fruits
because they do not have
TREE RINGS
colorful petals. Other trees,
however, such as apples, Every year, a tree adds a layer of
have showy fowers that new wood to its trunk. If the
attract insects. tree is cut down, each
year’s growth shows as
Magnolia trees bear some a visible ring, so the
of the biggest fowers number of rings
gives its age.
Closed pine cone

Pine cone
seeds

Nutmeg spice CONES
is a seed

Coniferous trees such as

pines have woody cones that

SEEDS AND NUTS contain small papery seeds. Open pine cone
When the cones open up
Some trees have tiny seeds, but in the sun, the seeds fall
out and blow away.
others produce the bigger seeds

we call nuts. Animals eat them,

but also bury and forget them,

so they grow into new trees. DECIDUOUS
LEAVES
Horse ch
Many trees lose their
Maple estnut leaves in winter and
seeds grow new ones in
spring. Before they fall,
the old leaves lose their
green color and turn yellow,
brown, or even red.

Red maple 13

FLOWERS 1
3
Many plants produce beautiful flowers, often
vividly colored and fragrant. These intricate Stamanetnhiesrmaanddeaufpilaomf eannt
structures form the reproductive parts of plants
and have evolved so that they attract insects and
birds to sip the sugary nectar at the flower’s center.
While feeding, the insect or bird is dusted with pollen,
which is produced by the stamens and contain the male
sex cells. The pollen is deposited on the sticky stigma of
another flower. This is pollination. A pollen tube then
grows down the style to the ovary and fertilizes an ovule.
This is fertilization. Some plants, such as grasses and many
types of trees, rely on the wind to carry their pollen, and their
flowers do not need showy petals or fragrant nectar to attract
animals. Since this is a less efficient system, they must produce
far more pollen, which can fill the air and cause hay fever.

1 FLOWER STRUCTURE Petals unfurl when the
flower opens but
A typical flower develops inside a bud at the fall away once it
end of a stalk. When the bud opens, it reveals is fertilized
a ring of petals, each of which secretes nectar
from its base. At the center of the flower lie Bright reds and pinks
the male structures that produce pollen. These are more attractive to
surround the female structures that hold the
ovules, or egg cells. An outer ring of green birds than insects,
sepals may protect the flower when it is in bud. because not all insects

can see the color red

2 CARPEL 3 STAMEN

An ovary, a style, and a stigma form the main The tiny, dustlike pollen grains that

parts of a carpel. At the heart of the flower lie contain the male cells are produced

the ovules, enclosed in a case called an ovary. by stamens. These usually form a ring

The top of each ovary extends into a style that around the central carpel or carpels.

carries a sticky pad called a stigma. The flowers Each stamen has a long filament,

of some plants have many carpels, each with its which supports a clublike anther
14 own stigma, but this lily has just one.
that produces the pollen.

bypionSlsltieeccnktsycasartinrigdemdbiatr todrsfalposwer Anmtcihnoeunrttieasiplnooianlldgeenmdgawrleaiticnheslls
Bright line at base
Style of petal guides the 4 TRANSFERRING
insect or bird toward POLLEN
42 the nectar
Insects such as butterflies
often drink nectar from one
type of flower. Hummingbirds
do the same, because their bills
are the right shape to reach the
nectar. The bird and the insect get
dusted with pollen in the process
and carry it directly to another

flower of the same type.

Filament

5

beccooOnmvtaaeirnysseaeotdvbsualifesesfetorhftaicltiazwrepdielll

5 FERTILIZATION 15

If a hummingbird sips nectar from this lily, it will pick up
pollen on its breast feathers. If the bird visits another lily,
the sticky central stigma may pick up the pollen. Each pollen
grain then sprouts a long tube that grows down through
the carpel to reach an ovule. The male cell moves down the
tube to fertilize the ovule so it can develop into a seed.

FRUITS Papayas

All plants produce fruits that contain their seeds. Some 2 Bananas

fruits are dry husks, but others are juicy and tasty. These
attract animals, which eat them and carry the seeds in
their stomachs. The tough-skinned seeds are not digested
but are scattered far away from the parent plant in the
animals’ droppings and grow into new plants. The fruits Tough skin fruit
shown here are cultivated types that have been specially encloses soft flesh
4
bred for their size and flavor. Pomelo Dragon

Watermelons

Dates
Oranges

1

Le

mons

Kiwis ssion fruit

s Blueberries Pa

CantaloupeLime adilla
Sweet gran
Rasp

Strawber ries berries
Bl
elon ackberries
Honeydew m
Figs

Red currants

Starfruit

arillos 3

1 ORANGES Tam Nuts

An orange has very soft, juicy flesh 2 BANANAS 3 NUTS 4 DURIAN
contained in many segments, which
are enclosed by a hard rind. Each The bananas that are cultivated in All nuts are large seeds, which the To attract fruit-eating mammals,
segment usually contains a seed. An the tropics have been bred to be plant has equipped with a store many fruits are fragrant. The
orange is technically a type of berry, seedless, but the wild bananas of of concentrated plant food. This Southeast Asian durian fruit
which develops over the winter from Southeast Asia have small fruits ensures that the seedlings get is famous for its strong aroma,
the single ovary of an orange flower. containing many big, hard seeds. a good start in life. The nut is which some people like and
They grow in bunches on large surrounded by a hard shell, which others hate. Animals such as
Green at first, it turns orange plants with huge leaves that is technically a fruit, but tough and forest pigs and orangutans seem
sprout straight from the ground. fibrous rather than soft and juicy. to love both its smell and taste.
16 as it swells to full size.

Pomegranates
Grapes M Coconut
Pineapple
5 ango
avas
QuincesPersimm6Cucumber
Duria TomPrickly peaGu 8
Peaches sh atoes
msPlu
rs
ons pkins
n Pum
Physalis Butternut squa

Rambutans

Peppers ri squash

Red ku

Eggp lant

Fruit forms pod, Fava beans ants
protecting Baby eggpl
big seeds 7 Chili peppers

les
App

5 GRAPES 6 PEACHES 7 FAVA BEANS 8 TOMATOES

Some fruits such as grapes grow as The juicy flesh of a peach, plum, The edible part of a fava bean plant Not all fruits are edible. Some
clusters of soft, edible, thin-skinned or cherry encloses a hard pit that is its seeds, and its fruit is the entire
berries. Each berry has several seeds contains a single seed. This type pod. The wild ancestors of such of the wild relatives of tomatoes
embedded in its flesh, although of fruit is called a drupe. The beans do not attract animals.
many cultivated varieties of grapes fleshy part is meant to be eaten, Instead, their pods dry up and are extremely poisonous. They
are seedless. Berries are often vividly so animals spread the seeds, but split open with explosive force,
colored to attract birds, which have some animals such as parrots can so the seeds shoot out and are include deadly nightshade,which
excellent color vision. crack the pits and eat the seeds, too. scattered on the ground.
is lethal to humans, although

some animals can eat the

berries without coming to

harm. Tomatoes are also

related to chili peppers. 17

FUNGI

The mushrooms and other fungi that can appear overnight 1 OAK BOLETE Felt saddle
in damp places are not plants. They belong to a completely hylla
separate group of living things that feed on dead or living A typical mushroom has radiating gills
plants and animals. Each fungus forms a hidden network beneath its cap that produce millions of spores.
of slender stems called a mycelium, and the visible part is Other fungi, like the oak bolete, have spongy
just the “fruiting body” that sprouts like an apple on a undersides that release spores from tiny holes
tree to spread the spores that or are covered with spore-producing tufts.
grow into new fungi.
ocybe geop
brittlegill In

Beechwood sicken

erBirch Oak bolete inarius ric kenianus
Lepiota cristata
1
Orange birch bolete
Cort

Sulfur tuft 3 Inocybe sindonia

Death cap Sheathed woodtuft Pearly webcap

False chanterelle Mealy funnel
Yellow ramaria
2

Turkey

White saddle Omphaliaster asterosporus
tail

2 TURKEY TAIL 3 DEATH CAP 4 SAFFRON MILK CAP

Fungi are vital to life because Some fungi are extremely Many fungi grow around the

they break down and recycle poisonous if they are eaten. roots of certain plants and

dead organisms. The turkey tail The well-named death cap has provide them with plant foods

grows on dead wood, rotting it probably been responsible for in exchange for sugars. The

18 down so the nutrients it contains 90 percent of all known deaths saffron milk cap, for example,

can be used by growing plants. from mushroom poisoning. always grows with pine trees.

5

5 PARASOL MUSHROOM dred webc 6 FLY AGARIC The ring is part
Bloo ap Persistent waxcap of the veil that
Some fungi, like the penny bun The fly agaric is one of the covered the cap of
and parasol mushroom, are good best-known “toadstools”—a word often the young mushroom
to eat. But if you are not an expert used for inedible or poisonous fungi. The
at identifying them, you could be white scales on its red cap are the remains of The tough stem and
poisoned by a killer like the death cap. a thin veil that covered the growing fungus. cap contain chitin,
which also forms
Rosso coral Fly agaric Parasol mushroomthe wings of insects

6 ved bon

Bearded milkcap

Green brittlegill

maculata net
Hare’s ea
erellePenny bun

Groor

Russula

7 Chant 7 PENNY BUN
4 Pholiota
The rootlike fibers attached
adiposa to the stem are just a tiny
part of the penny bun’s
mycelium. This can cover
huge areas. The mycelium
of a single honey fungus
can extend 1.6 million sq ft
(150,000 sq m).

8

Saffron milk cap 8 STUMP PUFFBALL

Collared earthstar Puffballs are named for the way

St the ripe fungi puff clouds of dustlike
ffball
ump pu spores when they are kicked or hit

by rain. Just one giant puffball can

contain an amazing 7 trillion 19
(7,000,000,000,000) spores.

20 ANIMAL KINGDOM 4 BIRDS

All living things fall into one of five categories, or “kingdoms”: These highly specialized, warm- 4
bacteria, protists (single-celled organisms), fungi, plants, and blooded vertebrates are superbly
animals. The animal kingdom is made up of many groups equipped for flight, and some may
of invertebrates (animals without backbones, such as
insects) and a few groups of vertebrates, such as stay airborne for most of their
mammals. They all share the ability to move and sense lives. They are the only animals
their surroundings and the need to find food. with feathers, which prevent
them from losing body
heat, enable them to
fly, and are often
brightly colored.

1 INSECTS 1

Small animals with hard external skeletons, 5
all insects have six legs when adult and, in
most cases, two pairs of wings. They include 5 MAMMALS
creatures such as butterflies, wasps, flies, and
beetles. Many are attractive, but some can Like birds, mammals are warm-
sting, bite, and carry deadly diseases. blooded vertebrates, meaning
they can control their body
This silver-washed temperature. The females
fritillary butterfly feed their young on milk. Most
has bright wing eat plants, but some, such as
markings lions, are meat eaters. Humans
belong to the mammal group.
2 WORMS
6 ARACHNIDS
There are many types of worms. They include
tapeworms, which live inside other animals, The spiders, scorpions, ticks, and
flatworms, and roundworms. Most familiar their relatives are eight-legged
are segmented worms like the earthworms invertebrates with hard external
that burrow in soil, marine worms that live skeletons but no wings. Spiders
on tidal shores, and leeches. kill their prey with venomous
fangs, and scorpions have stings
3 AMPHIBIANS A leech lives in their tails, some of which are
by sucking powerful enough to kill a human.
Soft-skinned amphibians, such as frogs
and toads, lose body moisture easily. To the blood of The red-kneed tarantula has
keep from drying out, nearly all frogs live its victims eight legs for walking and
in damp places, often near a pond. Most two chelicerae (mouthparts)
lay their eggs in water or other damp 2 6 to hold its prey
places, and these hatch into fishlike
young, such as tadpoles.

3

Sticky pads on
the frog’s toes
give good grip

7 MOLLUSKS Lion’s paw has
soft pads for
Most mollusks are running and sharp,
soft-bodied animals retractable claws
that live in water and
have protective shells. 10
They include mussels, 7
clams, and whelks. The
only mollusks able to live
on land are the snails and
slugs. Octopuses and squids
are also mollusks, but they
are highly evolved, with
well-developed brains
and eyes.

11
12

Suckers on
each arm help
the octopus 10 FISH 12 REPTILES
8 move around
and grab prey Although cold-blooded like
Fish were the first vertebrates and the amphibians, reptiles such as snakes
8 CRUSTACEANS ancestors of all amphibians, reptiles, and lizards have waterproof, scaly
skins that allow them to live in dry
Like insects, crustaceans have hard external mammals, and birds. They are perfectly places such as deserts. Most are
skeletons with several segments and strong active hunters, and some snakes
jointed legs. All are aquatic, aside from wood adapted for life in water, which have powerful venom, which they
lice. They include tough-shelled animals like use to kill their prey and for
crabs and lobsters as well as more delicate The powerful claws supports their bodies and provides them defense, if threatened.
shrimps and water fleas. of this lobster can with vital oxygen. There are two main
seize and crush prey fish groups: those with bony skeletons
and the sharks and rays, which have

skeletons of flexible cartilage.

9 MYRIAPODS 11 ECHINODERMS Like other
reptiles, snakes
Named for their many legs, myriapods 9 Sea urchins, starfish, feather stars, have scaly skin
have long bodies divided into segments. and sea cucumbers are echinoderms,
meaning “spiny skinned.” Their bodies
Centipedes have a single pair of legs on each A millipede’s legs tend to be wheel-shaped, with a central
are moved by a mouth. Feather stars trap food that
segment, while millipedes have two pairs. Some wavelike action floats through their feathery arms, but
of the body most search for food on the seabed.
millipedes have more than 90 segments and more

than 180 pairs of legs. Millipedes eat mainly dead

material, but centipedes are speedy hunters.

21

PLANKTON This cyanobacterium is
a coiled chain of cells
The sunlit surface waters of many oceans teem with life, that make food from
most of it microscopic, that drifts with the currents. The whole water and dissolved gas
drifting community is called the plankton. It is made up of
plantlike phytoplankton, which use the energy of sunlight to
make food from carbon dioxide and water, and zooplankton—
animals that feed on both the phytoplankton and each other.
This image shows the plankton in a splash of seawater,
magnified more than 25 times.

CYANOBACTERIA

Once known as “blue-green algae,”
these simple organisms were among
the first forms of life to appear on
Earth, more than 3,500 million years
ago. They still flourish in the oceans

where, like diatoms, they turn
carbon dioxide and water
into sugary carbohydrates.

DIATOMS The glassy shell of this
diatom reveals the green
The phytoplankton consist of structures that use solar
microscopic organisms such as diatoms energy to make food
and cyanobacteria. Diatoms have shells
of glassy silica that fit together like tiny
boxes with lids, and they exist in a dazzling
variety of forms. They thrive in cool seas,
where they turn the water gray-green
and often multiply into vast cloudy
“blooms” that are visible from space.

The size of a rice grain, CRAB LARVA
this crab larva is light
Among the members of the zooplankton
enough to drift near the are the eggs and young of animals that
surface in the plankton have very different shapes and lives when
adult. They include the eggs of reef
22 corals and infant fish, mollusks, and
crustaceans like this crab larva. Drifting
in the plankton provides them with food
and helps them disperse through the
oceans to find new places to live.

COPEPODS This delicate organism is
a larvacean—a drifting
Many animals spend their entire lives as animal that lives in a
members of the zooplankton. They include bubble of soft mucus
the tiny shrimplike copepods, which form Arrow worms are armed
dense swarms in many seas, providing with strong grasping
food for shoals of fish and giant spines, which they use
filter-feeding whales. to seize copepods

The plankton is full of Planktonic copepods have
drifting fish eggs that long antennae that act
like parachutes to prevent
will hatch into tiny them from sinking
planktonic larvae

ARROW WORMS

These long, almost transparent animals
prey on the other creatures of the
zooplankton, including copepods.
They are named for the way
that they shoot
forward through
the water to
catch their
victims.

This bristly creature is the
larva of a marine worm.
As an adult, it will live
on the bottom of the sea

23

INSECTS Great eggfly butterfly pupa

Insects are the most successful creatures on Earth. Beetles Swbuatlltoewrftlyail
alone account for almost a third of all known animal
species. Many insects are tiny, but others are big
enough for us to see the amazing
intricacy of their structure.
Some may bite or sting,
and a few are real pests,
but most are harmless,
fascinating, and beautiful.

al butterfly
Red admir
Cabbage white BUTTERFLIES Butterfly eggs
caterpillars
Butterflies start life as leaf- Housefly
munching caterpillars, then
form protective cases and
become pupae, before turning

into colorful winged beauties
that sip nectar from flowers.

Pink barred
sallow moth

Oleander moth scent moth Dragonfl Blowfly larvae
moth pupa y
Green brindled cre Tortoiseshell Hoverfly
24 caterpillar
MOTHS Polyphemus moth Crane fly

Oak silk Moths are basically the same as FLIES
butterflies, but most moths fly
by night on whirring wings. Many True flies have just two wings for
are dull brown for camouflage, flying, rather than four like other
but a few are brightly patterned. adult insects. Some are biting
bloodsuckers, and a few can
Yellow spread diseases, but others like
brimstone hoverflies are harmless.

moth

Wood ants

Norwegian wasps Bumblebee

ANTS WASPS AND BEES American cockr oach
Giraffe Frog
All ants form huge colonies ruled Although notorious for their weevil
over by a single “queen ant” that stings, most wasps and bees are
lays all the eggs. The “worker no trouble. Wasps hunt insects Hissing cockroac
ants” build the nest, defend it, to feed their young, while bees
and gather food. visit flowers to gather nectar.

Giant Indian stick inse Jewel
wasp

stag beetle
Asian
ct eggs

Chafer h
beetle

Giant walking stick insectses Rhinoceros beetle Dung be Male stag beetles
Ladybug showing wings under ca beetle larva Leaf beetle
BEETLES
Mealworms etleFlour
Most beetles can be recognized
by the hard, shiny wing cases Leaf insect
that hide their delicate wings.
Some have long horns or jaws,
especially the males, which use
them for fighting.

Blowfly

Red Goliath beetle beetle
spotted longhorn
25
beetle

INSECT ANATOMY

Many insects start life as soft-skinned grubs, or larvae, but 3 EYES
eventually they all turn into adults with hard, segmented
bodies and six jointed legs. Their skin is toughened with a Like many other insects, an adult wasp
substance called chitin, which is a bit like hard plastic, so it has two large compound eyes. Each
acts as an external skeleton. It is often shiny and brightly has hundreds of tiny lenses that see
colored, but it can look furry or scaly. Most adult insects the world as a mosaic of colored dots.
like this wasp also have wings made from sheets of chitin, A wasp also has three small simple
powered by muscles inside their bodies. eyes, which are called ocelli, on the
top of its head.
1 ANTENNAE but cleansnismntophtlaeftoecryEameanscashhneanoismsfejtuahlsgietgehothtnreee
Compound eyes give
An insect’s long antennae help it feel its the wasp quite good
way, but they are mainly used to detect vision and are also very
scent. They are covered with sensitive sensitive to movement
nerve endings that pick up chemical
signals. The antennae of some moths 4
can detect scents from more than
half a mile (1 km) away.

Long, jointed antennae Fine, touch-sensitive
are vital sense organs bristles on the insect’s
body detect vibrations

and air movements

2

3

1

The antenna of a female
wasp has 12 segments, while
the male antenna has 13

The sensory antennae
of this wasp enable it to
recognize food and other

members of its colony

2 HEAD HEAD THORAX

An insect’s head contains its brain and Mandibles, or mouth 4 THORAX
carries most of its sense organs. It is parts, are used to slice
also equipped with mouthparts that The legs and wings of an insect are
are specialized to deal with its diet. vegetation or prey attached to the front section of its
A mosquito has a sharp needle for body, the thorax. This is packed
sucking blood, while this wasp has with wing muscles, which power
stout jaws for chewing other insects. the wings rather like someone in
a rowing boat using a pair of oars.
26 It also contains the insect’s crop,
used to store food.

Dealritecoaostltfierftotwhnteihgnewgewsansoepuigghht Thmetethmhbeiybnwrs,atifninlfegfexssriibatbhrlseea, tcsaufloplerpmdorvteeidns 6 WINGS

The wings of an insect like this wasp
are thin, transparent plates of chitin.
Butterfly and moth wings are similar
but covered with colored scales. Most
insects have two pairs of wings for
flight, but flies have just one pair.

Slender waist linking thorax and
abdomen allows wasp to curl body

6

7 STING

Most insects are harmless, but some
may bite or sting. This wasp has a
sting in its tail that can inject a painful
venom. It uses it to defend itself and
its nest and to kill insect prey.

Dramatic black and
yellow markings
5 warn predators that
the wasp is venomous

The wasp’s sting is a
modified egg-laying
7 organ, or ovipositor

8

ABDOMEN

Each foot has sharp 5 ABDOMEN 8 LEGS
claws, and some insects,
The flexible abdomen contains All adult insects have six legs. When
such as flies, also have most of an insect’s internal organs,
sticky foot pads including its digestive system. they walk, they lift three legs while
Tiny holes lead to a system of
tubes that supply air to its organs keeping the other three on the
and muscles. The vivid stripes of
this wasp warn other animals ground—like a tripod—so they
that it can sting.
have no problem with balance.

Each leg is a series of stiff tubes,

hinged together and powered

by muscles inside the tubes. 27

FISH 3 FORCEPS FISH

Fish were the first animals with backbones to appear A type of butterflyfish that lives
on Earth, more than 500 million years ago. They have on the coral reefs of the Indian
since evolved into a wonderful variety of forms. From and Pacific Oceans, the forceps
powerful sharks to delicate seahorses, fish now make fish has a highly elongated snout
up more than half of all vertebrate species. Most fish with a very small mouth at
live in the salty oceans, like those shown below, but the tip. The fish uses this
many—including the fish on the opposite page—live to pick tiny animals from
in freshwater lakes and rivers. A few, such as salmon, coral crevices and from
are able to live in both. the spines of sea urchins.

1 RAY 2 BOXFISH 4 SEAHORSE 5 PUFFERFISH

Closely related to sharks, with The curious boxfish are named These strange fish owe their name Pufferfish defend
skeletons made of cartilage, rays for their boxlike defensive armor, to their horselike heads. They live themselves by inflating
are flattened fish that swim by formed from thick, fused scales. in shallow seas, where they cling their bodies with water
using their pectoral (side) fins like This prevents all body movement, to aquatic plants with their tails. so they are hard for predators
wings. They live on the seabed, so the fish swim by using their The male “incubates” the female’s to swallow. Some species have
hunting smaller fish and shellfish. small fins like oars. eggs in a pouch on his belly. sharp spines that add to the
effect, and many of their internal
organs contain lethal poisons.

A ray’s nostrils and mouth
are on its underside. Eyes
sit on top of the head

2 diBstlraaccktths“eeeynfieessmhp’soieths”efaorodnmfin 1

28 tinByoxafnisimh aelast 3 spmoteaxkoIctensetltflhlheaiensttrssaehcayaambpheeaodruadfnltdaoge

5

Prickly pufferfish are also
called porcupinefish
Clinging to weed with its tail helps
a seahorse resist strong currents

4

6 SALMON 8 VELVET CICHLID 10 PIKE
6 Big, powerful salmon spend most of Better known by its common name, Oscar, This powerful hunter lives in lakes

their lives at sea but swim upstream this species lives in slow-flowing South and slow-flowing rivers throughout

to the shallow rivers with gravelly American rivers and digs in the riverbeds Europe, northern Asia, and North

bottoms where they breed. They for small animals such as worms and America. Pike hunt fish and waterbirds

have adaptations that allow them to freshwater shrimp. There are currently by lying in wait among aquatic plants

move between fresh and salt water. 1,721 species of cichlids known. and darting out to seize victims.

7 CARP 9 STICKLEBACK 11 PIRANHA

Able to live in water that has very This fish gets its name from the sharp Notorious for its sharp teeth, this
little oxygen, carp are well equipped spines on its back. It lives in ponds, South American predator mainly
for life in warm, still lakes and ponds. rivers, and lakes and some shallow preys on other fishes but may strip
They feed by using their extendible seas. In spring, the male makes a nest the meat from larger carcasses of
jaws to root around on the bottom of plant fiber and does a dance to dead animals.
for small animals and aquatic plants. attract females to lay their eggs.

79

Three sharp spines help
defend the stickleback
from bigger predatory fish

Tough, shiny scales help 8
protect the carp’s skin from
injury and attack by parasites The colors of this cichlid
Long, pointed jaws have are variable, changing
big, sharp teeth to give as the fish grows older
the pike a good grip Piranhas stick together
in shoals for safety
on slippery prey

10

11

29

FEEDING

All animals get the nutrients they need by 1 2
eating plants, animals, or other organisms 5
such as bacteria or fungi. Some of these foods
are easy to find but hard to digest, like leaves
and grass. Others, such as animal prey, can be
difficult to find or catch but are easy to digest
and rich in food value. Animals have developed
a variety of adaptations for gathering and
digesting their food. Some of these are much
more specialized than others and govern the
animal’s whole way of life.

1 BASKING SHARK Gills in long slots
at the back of the
The enormous basking shark has
tiny teeth. It feeds by swimming shark’s mouth
through swarms of tiny drifting trap floating food
organisms with its mouth gaping
open and trapping them in its
sievelike gills. Many whales filter
feed in a similar way, as do some
birds, such as flamingos.

4

3

Sucker surrounds Parrots often use their feet
the mouth and to grip nuts while they crack
sharp teeth into them with their bills

2 GIRAFFE 3 LEECH 4 PARROT 5 LION

A giraffe’s extra long neck allows A parasitic leech clings to a living Birds need concentrated food that Catching large live animals can
it to eat leaves that other animals animal, slices into its skin, and sucks does not weigh them down, so be difficult and dangerous. A lion
cannot reach. Like many leaf eaters its blood. Some leeches may take most birds feed on insects, meat, relies on its strength and long,
and grass eaters, giraffes have up to five times their own weight fruit, or seeds. Many parrots eat sharp canine teeth to kill its prey.
bacteria in their digestive system, in blood but need to feed only nuts, cracking the strong shells with It slices the meat into mouthfuls
which break down the tough once or twice a year. their powerful hooked bills, but with scissorlike cheek teeth but
some have brush-tipped tongues swallows it without chewing
plant fiber to release to lap up sugary flower nectar. because meat is easy to digest.

30 vital nutrients.

6 GIANT ANTEATER

Many animals eat insects, but few

are so specialized for the job as the

giant anteater. It has a long, sticky,

wormlike tongue, which it flicks in

and out of its long snout up to 150 7

6 times a minute to scoop its tiny

prey from their nest.

7 TAPEWORM

This parasite lives in the intestines
of another animal—including some
people. Since it is surrounded by
predigested food, it does not need
a digestive system of its own, or
even a mouth, and it just soaks
up nutrients through its thin skin.

9 10
8

A housefly can contaminate
food by walking on it

8 EGYPTIAN VULTURE 9 HOUSEFLY 10 BROWN BEAR 31

Many creatures are scavengers Many insects, including all flies, Although basically a meat eater,
that feed on carrion (dead can eat only liquid food. Some the brown bear devours many foods,
flesh) and other scraps. They suck blood or gather nectar or ranging from meat and fish to fruit
include the Egyptian vulture, plant juices. The housefly can and honey. This means that it is not
which clears up remains that also liquefy some solid foods such specialized for any particular way
would otherwise simply rot. as sugar by drenching them with of feeding and can change its food
Without scavengers, the world saliva and soaking up the result with the seasons. Humans have the
would be a lot less healthy. with its moplike mouthparts. same “omnivorous” (eat-all) diet.

CRUSTACEANS Heavy pincers
can crack open
This varied group of invertebrates includes around 67,000 known 1 mollusk shells
species. Crustaceans take their name from the hard, jointed shells,
or exoskeletons, that support and protect their bodies. Most Haprldba,taearsnrmapcroloert’es cbtody
crustaceans live in the sea, or in freshwater lakes and rivers,
but wood lice and some species of crab live permanently on 2
land. Crustaceans have at least four pairs of jointed legs, gills
for breathing under water, and sensory antennae that they hiatBsraedrlfnsuharceflaeadcceefimrset ntotsa
use to feel and smell the things around them.

1 CRAB 3 LANGOUSTINE

Armed with a pair of powerful claws, Found in the Atlantic Ocean and North
and protected by a thick shell, a crab is Sea, langoustines are also known as
built for both attack and defense. Crabs Norway lobsters. They come out at night
can creep forward very slowly, but they from their seabed burrows to feed on
prefer to scuttle sideways because they worms and smaller crustaceans. Their
can move much quicker that way. muscular tails are eaten as “scampi.”

2 BARNACLE maMniopuuctlhhaeptwearaftnosdod
enEdyeosfasrheoortnstthaelks
Young barnacles drift in the water like
shrimp, but when they become adults, Tohueoagcrodhcvaaserhnarisdpeclatdrhca,eob,r’sax
they cement themselves to rocks, piers,
and even other crustaceans. They feed
by extending feathery legs from their
shells to catch tiny floating creatures.

waalrkebianJucsgokielndtefegsodr

Strong tail
used for
swimming

Abdomen is tucked 3
away beneath the
crab’s body

Langoustine
can grow up

to 6 in (15
cm) in length

32

4 LOBSTER 5 WOOD LOUSE 6 PRAWN

Weighed down by their heavy shells, Wood lice are among the only Many prawns and shrimp swim or
lobsters usually walk on the seabed, crustaceans that are completely at drift in the water, but others spend
but they can swim backward to home on land, but they must live in most of their lives searching for
escape danger by flipping their tails. damp places. They have seven pairs of food on the seabed. Some specialize
Like all crustaceans, they have to legs, and some species can roll themselves in picking bloodsucking parasites
molt (shed) their hard exoskeletons into a ball if they feel threatened. Despite off the fish that live on coral reefs,
several times as they grow. their name, they do not damage wood. which line up to be cleaned.

Loctblhasewteysrbacrnaednaklreeoggfsrfoifw Toothed crusher claw
pulverizes shells
4
Claws used for gripping
and shredding food
Claw curved at
end to aid grip

Female wood louse keeps Tough curved plates
fertilized eggs in a pouch protect soft parts of
on the underside of her the wood louse’s body
body until they hatch
5

Long antennae
used for sensing
surroundings

Shorter antennae detect odors Prawns use their two
in the water to help the lobster large eyes to detect
find food or a mate movements in water

6
usFeadnf-oshraspweidmtmaiinl g
Hardcocavareanrpds ahtcheeaodrax Transparent
exoskeleton

Four pairs of
walking legs

33

AMPHIBIANS 1 COMMON FROG

Although amphibians look a little like scaly reptiles, 1 All amphibians eat live animals,
they do not have waterproof skin so cannot live in which they hunt by sight. The frog
hot, dry places where they might dry out. Most on the left is leaping through the
hide away by day and emerge only at night. air to catch a ladybug, which it will
They must also lay their eggs in ponds snap up and swallow alive.
and other wet places, and many
spend their early lives as Common frogs are able
aquatic tadpoles. to lighten or darken
their skin to blend in
European common frogs
with their surroundings
7 Mandarin salamander

Colorful lumps and
bumps ooze toxic

fluids for protection
from predators

4 MIDWIFE TOAD

Most frogs and toads lay their eggs
in water, but the male midwife toad
wraps the strings of eggs around his
legs and looks after them until they
are ready to hatch.

Midwife 4 Tinker vine frog
toad
Caecilian

10

Frog’s thin, moist to frogs
skin can absorb
oxygen directly 9
from the air

Australian tree frog

Big eyes helpPoison dart f 6
poison dart frogs Madagascar toma

see well in the
dark forest
rog

8

6 POISON DART FROG 7 MANDARIN SALAMANDER

Tiny tree frogs of American tropical Salamanders and newts are a bit 8 AUSTRALIAN TREE FROG 9 TOMATO FROG
forests are protected by powerful like frogs with long tails. Some,
poisons on their skin. Some are so Many frogs and toads, like these
deadly that local people use them like the Asian mandarin salamander, Tree frogs have suckers on the tips tomato frogs, defend themselves
to make poison darts. by inflating their bodies with air so
have vividly colored skin that of their toes so that they can cling that they are harder to eat.
34
warns enemies that they are to wet foliage. Most tree frogs only

poisonous to eat. visit pools of water to breed.

2 TADPOLES Frtohgseosytchthaheanairvntepothrtheeucyyhgwecewahmn,ooblsewuuttahllsow 3 African bullfrog 3 AFRICAN BULLFROG

Nearly all frogs start life in the A mouse makes a tasty snack
for a bullfrog, which will eat
water as tadpoles with long tails
almost anything that moves.
and no legs. Gradually they grow
Red-eyed
legs, hop out of the water, and tree frog

their tails shrivel away.
Froglet

with tail

Froglet 2
losing
tail

European
common frog

Foam- 5 FOAM-NESTING FROG
nesting
Some tree frogs keep their eggs
frog moist by laying them in a nest

Covered by tough 5 of wet foam high in
skin, a caecilian’s eyes the trees.
cannot form clear Fire salamander
images, but they Asian painted
can detect light 12 frog

11

Chilean
four-eyed

frog

Bright yellow spots
warn off enemies,
even at night

10 CAECILIAN 11 FOUR-EYED FROG 12 FIRE SALAMANDER 35

Wormlike caecilians burrow in A four-eyed frog has a pair of big Bright patterns warn predators
tropical forests by pushing their eyespots on its back. If attacked, it that this salamander can spray a
bony heads through the soil. They turns its back and inflates its body blinding poison up to 13 ft (4 m)
have no legs and are almost blind. so that it looks like a fierce animal. through the air.

LIFE CYCLES 3thdAecigofptepeusertpiawpvbeyitoschuyastontnteswmleyoemc,wabinleukets. tkiitslsl, 3 vitmasloostklhi4idellrTsfohatnhoedrdoolbpudergeoghrvinpipdsuleaptdyop.byleycaairtnns eat

All animals pass through different stages of life 2 4
as they grow into fully developed adults. The first
stage is the start of a new life, and for most animals
the final phase is when they breed to start the
cycle over again. For some animals, such as most
mammals, these stages are very similar. For others,
such as many insects, every stage is quite different
and involves a complete transformation, or
metamorphosis, from the previous stage.

2 For the first two 5 Though not
weeks, the puppy able to breed
just yet, this
cannot see the young dog can
world around it. find its own
5 food.

DOG ▶ 1 6lopTouhkp6esptfiouelsfliyonfgdritaoswmonwatdneo. tgonporwoduce

A dog’s life cycle is typical of livpeusp1opBnyliicntasdnmannoodttheheaert’lspsmloelisildsk,.faonoedw, sbooirtn
many mammals, because it starts life
as a smaller version of its parents. As

it grows bigger, its internal organs
develop so it can eat an adult diet and

eventually produce its own young.

3jetlWaltydorpiincgoltgiloneligntuhgtseoeoswauanat stoateqfirc,utkhtayheteficlupidlant. 3 likleeigttshd,a4eatvnAoedslfotiathpsesfbrbtooaagddc.ykpsoltelaegrstg,srtothowelnsooofrlkdoenrt, ◀ FROG

Young tadpole has three Most amphibians, such as frogs, have
pairs of feathery gills, complex life cycles. A typical frog lays
which absorb vital eggs in water, and these hatch out as
oxygen from the water fishlike tadpoles. The tadpoles develop
lungs and legs and hop out of the
water as tiny froglets, eventually
becoming fully grown adult frogs.

4

2 An embryo develops 2
inside the egg and
Tail shrinks to a
starts to move, using stump as the froglet
energy supplied by the learns to use its legs
to swim and hop
yolk of the egg.

5 Lungs develop, the
tail shrinks, and the new
froglet hops out of the
water to live on land, where
it hunts small animals.

5

1

36 swpercoolltsn1etucaAptiennidnianbdtghyuheljteuwlfnlryado,trgewerdl.hasiycoshffreogggsspawn 6 6adwLuiaavlnttinedfgrreoimingthaswepinrrillillynargoyenttouorlrafnfnientdrdot,iltatihhzmeee aetgegs.

ti Imtessbhaaesbid2yts icgBtasyettteseroabptuiiilgglnhaggrserrk.gairvnoesnwesovfuesralsaylt,. the 2 wsoi3lfltfTubheoeldfiytusfllum-gllerotoafwmsntoocrrpaethdeorespnisiellirangrtyoh,aawsnhaaicfdhautl,t.
Caterpillar sheds

3 its colorful skin to
emerge as a legless,
pale-looking pupa

4 The caterpillar stops feeding
and becomes a pupa—the
1 stage of its life cycle when

it is transformed into
a winged adult.

1 An adult female 4
lays her eggs on a
carefully chosen Pupa splits open,
plant, and a tiny and crumpled
larva, or caterpillar, fTohrcaesetapevnuredppriarallelasbwrtuaeiniyelstskimads sewoatihsiboitluneatlktetehesnserflayp. art butterfly crawls out
hatches from
each egg. ◀ BUTTERFLY

6 5 5 Butterflies, like many insects, have two
quite different phases in their life cycle.
joefnbe6eeirsdAgstyfootienmtrnsaeuetmegedaearrsnygtdionnlegaflc,yytt,aehbrgeutgobts.uigttsettemrtafhlieyn They hatch as soft-bodied larvae that
spend all their time eating and growing.
Then they turn into winged adults, which

Baby turtle has well- do not grow and may not eat at all.

3 ofAhtefhtaeedrsesgftorgur,gttghhleeinobgcaeboayuntt.urtle developed flippers buthte4tasTkahemesesymwouaanlylegarstfuiotrsotldpeaiftreeeemndtsss. in
when it hatches
2
3

4

TURTLE ▶ 5 Growing steadily as
it feeds, the turtle does
Most reptiles, such as turtles, lizards, not go through any type
and snakes, lay eggs. When these of metamorphosis like
hatch, the babies that crawl out are an amphibian or insect.
like miniature replicas of the adults.
They live in exactly the same way
and often eat the same foods.

2 An embryo develops 5 Sea turtle’s long
inside the buried egg, flippers enable it to
which is abandoned by 6 6 toTahbssheraeonmerdeday,ttutaorrnobedpuaifrcdeyaumltlhtbaeeliesiarsacecbhgoleegms.seon swim long distances
to reach suitable
the mother but kept breeding beaches
warm by the sun.
37
1

itlefar1othmTehrdeyreysgkinignghtoahusatta. psorefvt,ents

ATTACK AND DEFENSEMkfhteihaalalarntidutnyemrgearfasnfaokaismertn-tdtmahhltesoeamvaacritnneidcigmhsifputfaoirnlcesmutyetlhratis,ksaottehhrtathaehrtevdepye,jrnsoheobyudonaeovnatn,esgsrioeeotrtrihom.mTueaerhsn,aihstynouhihncmaaatsvetacmrelhsse.a.hCvdaoaevtlecvshueeidrvnvodgilvevaafeneldndses
cTuthrthreheoiannabutnttososiaiTxsmanhcDujnodeaendllnsRlllystouodIiafmncfFiecksgvTtthpyionwIltayeuNeyirnrntdesGshotrtaaaiiufincnrtTgtglmssyehRitwsneceAtrdgooinetfPthwaccatetohtic▶ultmhllehersee.es.
◀IppnotirhnisfetNefacytcthtoIthuGee-teesadniHalnavstdgbioTicnalutpegriHnmksudbnlaU,s.aeecbTtsNrsssahe.otTteaafttEsroihognRihueggtunhandt-hstsoefbuilroyniundngicmeinasgeects

▲TotohonAuecatvopMipimrtcasltBaeyismnipUwnti,gnaSitwnyhmHdafinarietoniranntatitgnss lglifiutmoerar.kblTaissvhnmteeoo.notchtiaietotrscnhhilneoissotesstcst ◀AMvtttehnhhNhaeVnaoeunneDotErinmydrmmtNthapsoCaoaenerOflneulLlyiviymydstAMecsubaasatWt.shlninasetAedeisuhlSsssitsafttcooeovsionrertdcrgospdleatiefiokwonefnineglnslnstdthsoee.
◀LwioaitTtntnhheEdsetahdAialrmeaorMmiegnwrggaepoWeiqrrcnrekullayOiw.ikpwTseeRphosae,teKptedbyhoeueetnthrneicsircle

is no escape.

CONSTRICTOR ▼
A python coils around its prey,
squeezing a little tighter every
time the victim breathes out,
until eventually it cannot
breathe at all. A snake’s
lower jaws are loosely
linked to its skull, so
it can swallow its
38 prey whole.

PIdifoitOieatsautoislftltinbhzIseskstSoipoankaeneOlridcdlmngenydkysea.NaepttimswTokdtooasheyinGielbtesiseshtloiyafaLsimsnttavabAosteaiayrahnfNksiruadnetonDnesfmdltaSetr,i▶nagtoad CTnabwhAonaethicMmiibkctegaeeOdlsrsitonaUhudtwaneFarfdiLdlnel.A.nttTeCoshGreaismtsEieosmeotm▼uooafagualtaanvcgitohnaeisdittnmhbtehaheakseinnreierogs wtu.rns
PMht“mLhapaivAansleayyYoykkpihInieNolulgeesnGpsddtueeumtrDahpsdetEwta”mhAkieilsfeleDpetlahvradee▼rtvetsoe.aannSnteolstyeanmgpefeeorder.aoyAnsfitinxmthhhaoaitosplsutobhlrsyisesk!uyem
it alone.

SSabcotPararommniInsNaitoemmltreEta.aaanSOwlcksiktimet▼thhhataeahnlrlstoeds,hmntelragiyvkva,.eeelsnmhtdhadoeirassfptnepingsmopseriiprvcnooueeuspsss.iinbTtoehle,is

NSvsuTfktpiolOnhauerrrdean-gXsyeuykmerpIscftOraetiatonhnlorlUmgeienai7rStnigsmhftcotefaSetlai(nuoMfl2csatircdimcigoufEetlur)asaLh,astnoaLottfedtaffolt▼sctyrekhnteehdye.

their enemies.

SSteBbaoAnyirlgeigsFtmtefaEaitrsiysyeTh,isnaYsrbognaytiImcmhNllioeaavrsnliNesntyhgmUttoariaMnngyketledotBoehetEncseaosrRos,enyfStfshluhiit▶ssotelasehtlshoo,enafillerolsoc.kosk, solrikheeordnse. 39

40 Ball python IGUANAS ▼ ▼ VENOMOUS LIZARDS

Iguanas are typical lizards— Gila monster The Gila monster is one of just
reptiles that usually have two species of lizards with
▲ PYTHONS four legs, a long tail, a venomous bite. Both
and scaly skin. Most live in deserts in Mexico
Most of the biggest snakes lizards eat small animals, and the United
are pythons—powerful, but the green iguana States.
nonvenomous reptiles that kill is mainly vegetarian.
snpaysktMpheeoutcnhciesha,ststimhesaiaastlswbleruerorsdtrthoeAawnfntirnsimcgaanny their prey by coiling around it and
squeezing until it cannot breathe. CHAMELEONS ▶

This is the snake’s tail, Famous for their ability to change
which it uses as a fake their skin color, chameleons are
head to deceive its slow-moving lizards that hunt by
enemies if threatened shooting out their very long,
sticky tongues to catch insects.

Calabar ground COLUBRIDS ▼ Jackson’s chameleon
python
Three-fifths of all snake species Green iguana
belong to the colubrid family.
Most are harmless, but some, GECKOS ▼
including the mangrove snake,
have venomous fangs at the Special hairs beneath the broad
backs of their mouths. toes of many geckos act like
suckers, enabling these active,
Mangrove agile lizards to climb up any
snake surface, including glass, and

even run across ceilings.

emersgkianiSnngndaawtbkilerteihsgashsghttleoeodrsnscctyoehslecoaiarrylseoesaurt,er Madagascar
day gecko

Grass snake Corn snake European
glass lizard

mseoavrceIhtthoreTirfpxhofpceurelogeglglshersainwtststsoabsstwenoeaadrimtkyinemtoiesra. n thdaetgairStdae”wsnsiissnlilnnbtaghekedeigahinsnoog“ppreeerl,adtyhinisg The red-tailed racer’s LEGLESS LIZARDS ▶ ▼ TUATARA
slender body is
sittregaliTmdheliisnthesmrdoasuhlglethlulwrttoaletheheralps a Some lizards have no legs, Found only in New Zealand, the
adapted for climbing so they look and behave two species of tuatara are the only
Slider like snakes. The European survivors of a group of reptiles that
terrapin glass lizard has tiny mostly died out 100 million years
vestiges of legs, showing ago, during the age of dinosaurs.
Hermann’s that its ancestors were
tortoise like normal lizards. Tuatara

▲ TURTLES Red-tailed racer Rattlesnake

Instantly recognizable ▼ COBRAS American alligator
by their shells, turtles
and tortoises have Among the deadliest of venomous REPTILES ▲ CROCODILES
existed since the days snakes, cobras are armed with a
of the first dinosaurs. Scaly, creeping, cold-blooded reptiles can The most powerful of all
Tortoises are famously nerve poison that paralyzes seem sinister—especially venomous snakes reptiles, alligators and
slow, but turtles can their victims so they cannot and snapping crocodiles. Yet many reptiles crododiles are ferocious
swim quite fast over breathe and they die predators that ambush,
long distances. from suffocation. are glossy, vividly colored creatures with kill, and eat animals as
fascinating habits. Most are hunters, but since big as zebras.
VIPERS ▶ they do not use any energy keeping warm, they
do not need to eat much. Crocodiles often go for
Equipped with long months without eating, and some big snakes
poison fangs that hinge can survive for a year on just one big meal.
forward when they open
their mouths, vipers
such as rattlesnakes are
extremely dangerous.
Luckily, rattlesnakes rattle
their tails as a warning.

41 Albino
monocled cobra

Eye at tip of 2 5
snail’s tentacle
Squid’s head end Squid can swim
1 has eight arms and faster than any
two tentacles other invertebrate
4

MOLLUSKS

Snails, clams, mussels, and even octopuses are 3
all mollusks—soft-bodied animals that often have
strong chalky shells. Some live on land, but most
mollusks live under water or on tidal seashores. A snail
or octopus can move about and use its sense organs to find
food, but many aquatic mollusks, such as mussels, spend their
adult lives in one place. They do not have obvious sense organs
or even heads, and their bodies are encased within two shells
that can be closed for protection.

Whelks grow their shells
from chalky deposits
extracted from seawater

8
9

1 Snail Able to creep around on its muscular 3 Giant clam The biggest of all mollusks, the 5 Slug Basically snails without shells, slugs
foot, a snail can squeeze its soft, boneless body giant clam can grow to more than 40 in (1 m) can live in places with few of the chalky
into its coiled shell when it feels threatened. across. It finds a spot in a coral reef and, once minerals that other mollusks need to build
there, stays in place for life. up their shells as they grow larger.
2 Giant snail A native of tropical Africa, the
giant snail can be 12 in (30 cm) long. A gland 4 Squid Fast-swimming squid can catch fish 6 Limpet Able to clamp its strong shell to
at the front of the foot produces the slime with their tentacles, change color, and shoot rocks, the limpet is well equipped to survive
that enables a snail to slide along. through water backward using jet propulsion. the rough and tumble of rocky seashores.

42

Limpets use their 6
conical shells to
protect themselves Octopus’s tentacles
from waves dart out to reach prey

Algae living in the giant
clam’s fleshy lips use sunlight
to produce energy-rich food
for the clam

7 Cuttlefish can change 12
color according to
Mussels feed their mood
by drawing
water into
the shells and
filtering edible
particles

10
11

7 Octopus Like the cuttlefish and squid, an 9 Scallop Like clams, scallops are two-shelled 11 Sea slug Many sea slugs have flamboyant
octopus is an intelligent animal with excellent bivalves. By snapping their shells shut, they can frills. Bright colors act as a warning to
eyesight. It uses the strong suckers on its eight shoot through the water when they need predators to leave them alone.
long arms to catch crabs. to escape danger.
12 Cuttlefish Unlike most mollusks, a cuttlefish
8 Whelk A type of sea snail, the whelk uses 10 Mussel All mussels attach themselves to has an internal shell. This can be filled with air
its acute sense of smell to track down dead rocks with strong threads and live by pumping to make it buoyant, so the cuttlefish can drift
animals in the water for food. food-rich water through their bodies. through the water after its prey.

43

44 SHELLS

The bodies of some creatures are protected by tletrapPrecious wen
strong shells. They include all kinds of animals
ranging from crabs to armadillos, but the most This delicately ribbed
well known are marine mollusks such as sea shell was once
winkles, cockles, and clams. These animals
absorb chalky minerals from their food or highly valued, which
seawater and turn them into beautiful, explains its name
sculptured, often vividly colored “sea shells.”
These are sometimes lined with iridescent, Distorsio shells are
gleaming mother-of-pearl. found mainly in
tropical waters
1 NAUTILUS A nautilus can adjust its Co
buoyancy by pumping
A relative of the octopuses, with big fluid in and out of
eyes and up to 90 tentacles, the nautilus
can retreat into its pearl-lined shell for gas-filled shell chambers
safety. The inner chambers of the shell
act as flotation tanks. Cross-section of a nautilus shell mmon distorsio

2 VENUS COMB MUREX 1

Named for its comblike appearance, this
sea snail of the tropical Indian and Pacific
Oceans has up to 100 sharp spines that
protect it from predators such as
shellfish-eating rays.

3 PAPAL MITER Venus c Papal miter

This is one of about 800 known species Spines are as sharp as
of miter shells, which all have a pointed needles and break off
form similar to the ceremonial hats worn easily if they pierce
by bishops and popes. The papal miter another animal
may be up to 6 in (15 cm) long.
2
4 CUBAN LAND SNAIL omb murex

Some land snails are brightly colored, 3
too, but their colors are usually similar to
those of the places where they live. Snails
that have noticeably different colors are
soon eaten by birds.

Cowrie shells are glossy
where partly covered
by the animal’s body

The spiny oyster shell is 4 5 OYSTER SHELL 7 SPINY SAND COCKLE
found off California and
Cuban land snails Most oysters have shells that are Cockles and clams are mollusks
is often used in Native rough outside but pearly inside. with two shells, called bivalves.
American jewelry Grains of sand that find their way A cockle burrows into sand,
Cowries Spiny oyster shell into oyster shells are smothered often on coasts that dry out
with layers of shell material, at low tide, but it can close
Tropical sea urchin turning them into pearls. its shells tightly to keep itself
moist until the tide turns.
6 SEA URCHIN TEST
8 MANUS ISLAND SNAIL
Sea urchins belong to a group of
animals called echinoderms. Their All snails have a shell that is
“shells” are covered with skin, so coiled in a spiral, so the coil
they are not true shells like those gets smaller toward the tip.
of mollusks. Known as tests, they As the snail grows, it adds
are peppered with holes and shell material at the shell
mouth, which gets broader
small knobs where the spines all the time.
were once attached.

6

Tropi
cal sea urchin

5 7 8

Black-lipped oyster Spiny sand cockle Manus Isl
and snail

Position of sea
urchin’s mouth

45

Rock pigeon

BIRDS

The only animals with feathers, birds are found in all parts
of the world. Many have superb flying skills, with strong
chest muscles to power their flapping wings. There is

a dazzling diversity of species, from soaring
albatrosses and flamboyant peacocks to
flightless rheas and tiny hummingbirds.

▲ TAWNY EAGLE ZEBRA FINCH ▲

Eagles are powerful hunters. They target Like many birds, the zebra finch
their prey while soaring high overhead then of Australia lives in large flocks
swoop down to seize it in their talons. The that fly and feed together for
safety. Its stout bill is adapted
tawny eagle is also notorious for stealing for splitting the tough skins of
the victims of other birds of prey.
grass seeds to get at their
Immensely strong, nourishing kernels.
sharp-clawed talons
are the eagle’s Penguins’
main weapons wings are
adapted for
swimming,
not flying

Birds spend ▲ RHEA King
hours preening penguins
their feathers to As tall as 5 ft (1.5 m), these
large flightless birds roam the ock
keep them in grassland of South America. They eat Peac
good condition plants, nuts, seeds, and fruits as well as
insects and small animals, such as lizards.
46
Farmyard
ducks

The male peacock
raises its hugely
elongated tail feathers
to display them

Parrots can Green parakeet
crack nuts with
their strong bills

▲ ALBATROSS SNOWY OWL ▶ Soft feathers
allow owls to fly
The long, narrow wings of an albatross enable Most owls hunt by night, in complete silence
it to soar for hours on oceanic winds without but the snowy owl is active
moving a muscle. It feeds on marine animals, Some swifts can during the almost continuous
which it snatches from the ocean with its bill. keep flying for daylight of the Arctic summer.
many months It uses its acute hearing to
Swift without landing locate small animals such as
lemmings feeding beneath

the snow.

Hummingbird Hummingbirds ◀ WOODPECKER
hover on whirring
wings to sip Woodpeckers use their
flower nectar powerful bills to carve out
nesting holes in trees, and many
also hack into soft wood to find insects.
This green woodpecker catches ants
with its extra-long tongue.

Budgerigars

TOUCAN ▶

The enormous bill of the toco toucan is much
lighter than it looks, because it is a hollow shell

of lightweight horny material supported by
crisscrossing internal struts. The toucan uses

it for display as well as feeding.

The flamingo’s Blue tit
pink coloring
comes from
pigments in the
bird’s food

Peacock FLAMINGO ▲
display
Vast wading flocks of flamingos
gather tiny animals and algae
from warm lakes. Holding their
extraordinary bills upside down
in the shallows, they use their

tongues to pump water
through their sievelike bill

fringes to trap food.

PEAFOWL ▶ Webbed feet Dalmatian Pelicans use
stop wading pelican the pouch
The female birds from beneath their
peafowl, or sinking in mud bills like
peahen, looks drab fishing nets
and colorless compared to catch
to the dazzling male their food
peacock, with his amazing
courtship display of fanned 47
tail feathers.

EGGS 3 King penguin Ostrich chick breaking out of shell

4

All female birds lay eggs. The young grow inside the
eggs, which are kept warm by their parents. To hatch,
they must chip their way through the eggshell. Some
chicks, such as ducklings, can run and walk around soon
after hatching, but other baby birds hatch at a much earlier
stage in their development
when they are naked, blind, Peregrine falcon

and almost helpless.

12 Golden eagle

Waxwing

Great auk Cormorant

ark
Skyl

5

Common murre Quail
crow
Carrion k 6 ant crested tina mou
Eleg
Sparrowhaw
lew
Cur

7
Cuckoo

shank Coal tit

Blackcap Red

1 GREAT AUK 3 KING PENGUIN 5 QUAIL 6 SPARROWHAWK

This beautiful egg is one of the last King penguins breed in huge The quail lays a huge clutch of In the 1960s, sparrowhawks suffered
relics of a big flightless seabird that colonies on windswept rocky islands up to 18 eggs in a nest on the from poisoning by pesticides used in
once lived in the north Atlantic around Antarctica. Each female lays ground. Like many eggs, they have farming. The poisons thinned their
and hunted fish like a penguin. one egg, and both parents take turns camouflage markings that make eggshells, so they broke when the
Each pair laid just one egg, and the keeping it warm by supporting it on them harder to see. The female birds tried to keep them warm. Most
last-known pair was killed in 1844. their feet beneath their warm bellies. starts keeping them warm only of these pesticides are now banned.
after she lays the last one. This
2 GOLDEN EAGLE 4 OSTRICH means they start developing at the
same time, so they all hatch at
A female golden eagle lays two eggs The ostrich is the world’s largest once. The chicks are active as soon
a few days apart. She keeps the first bird, and it lays the biggest eggs. as they hatch, just like ostriches.
egg warm so it hatches earlier. This Each one can weigh anything up
chick may be the only one to survive to 4 lbs (1.9 kg)—the same weight
as 27 chicken eggs.
if food is hard to find.

48