e y e w i t n e s s e x p l o r e r

NATURE
RANGER by Richard Walker
Consultant Dr. Don E. Wilson, Curator Emeritus, Vertebrate Zoology,
National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

SMITHSONIAN
 REVISED EDITION
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ORIGINAL EDITION
Produced for Dorling Kindersley Ltd by
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For Dorling Kindersley Ltd:
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First American Edition, 2006

This American Edition, 2015
Published in the United States by
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New York, New York 10014

Copyright © 2006, © 2015 Dorling Kindersley Limited

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A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW
Contents

4 The world of nature 38 Studying flowers

6 Essential equipment 40 Pollination
8 Animals in action 42 Spreading seeds
10 Creepy-crawlies, 44 Starting life
worms, and slugs 46 Treewatch
12 Wildlife detective 48 Bark
14 Trails and traces 50 Looking at leaves
16 Animal footprints 52 Cones
18 Bones and teeth 54 Woodlands
20 Food clues 56 Fungus foray
22 Animal droppings 58 Dry places
24 Hiding and warning 60 Freshwater ponds
26 Animal homes 62 Make a small pond
28 Wildlife at night 64 The seashore
30 Making a bat box 66 Rockpools
32 Plant planet 68 Helping wildlife
34 Secret senses 70 Glossary
36 Thirsty work 72 Index

BE SAFE! IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARENTS CHILDREN—BE SAFE!

Some of the activities in this book require adult supervision. Symbols are READ THIS BEFORE STARTING ANY ACTIVITIES!
used to indicate where an activity must only be done with the help of an adult.
An “Important” box gives further information about any risks involved and 1 Tell an adult before you do any of the activities in this book as you may
appropriate safety precautions to take. Please carefully check which activities need an adult to supervise the activity.
require adult supervision and supervise your child where indicated.
2 Pay attention to the following symbols:

Activities shown with this symbol must

only be done with the help of an adult. You need an adult to help you with an activity.

Take extra care when

doing this activity.
IMPORTANT
Take extra care with an activity.
Provides safety
Always ensure that your child follows 3 Read the “Important” boxes—these provide safety information and let
information and indicates
instructions carefully. The author and you know which activities may be messy and should only be carried out
whether an activity can
the publisher cannot take responsibility in suitable places.
be messy. Follow the
for any accident or injury that occurs
guidance notes on those 4 Follow the instructions carefully.
because the reader has not followed
activities that are messy
the instructions properly and will not
and should be carried out
be responsible for any loss or damage
only in suitable places. REMEMBER!
allegedly arising from any of the
Show respect to wild creatures and make sure you don’t
activities in this book.
disturb animals’ environments.
4

The world of nature

FIND OUT ABOUT LIVING THINGS, WHERE THEY LIVE, AND WHO STUDIES THEM

We are surrounded by an amazing world

of nature—an incredible array of animals,
plants, and other living things that live in
gardens, forests, meadows, lakes, rivers,
and a host of other places. It doesn’t matter
whether you live in a city or in the country—
you can find out lots about this magical
Harsh conditions
world by becoming a nature ranger. It’s fun Even the harshest conditions
and fascinating, and details of how to do it do not deter some organisms.
These orange lichens—a
can be found in the pages that follow. combination of fungus and
alga—have colonized bare
rocks on a windy clifftop.

Plant competitors
Provided it’s not too cold,
plants grow wherever there
is water and light. Plants,
unlike animals, do not
move around, and they
make their own food using
sunlight energy. So light is
essential for survival, and
plants, such as these
bluebells in a woodland
clearing, compete with
their neighbors to make
sure they get access to it.

PLANET EARTH
As far as we know, Earth
is the only planet with living
organisms. They live in its
air, water, on land, and in soil.
Earth has water that is vital
for life. It has an atmosphere
that contains oxygen, which
is essential for survival. Its
temperatures are neither
too hot nor too cold. Earth
also supports plants, which
View from space f harness sunlight to provide an
Taken by a satellite, this photo energy source for themselves
shows blue oceans, green and all other organisms.
landmasses, and polar ice.
 5

FIND OUT ABOUT LIVING THINGS, WHERE THEY LIVE, AND WHO STUDIES THEM
STUDYING NATURE
Scientists who study the living world are
called biologists. The two main branches
of biology are zoology, the study of animals,
and botany, the study of plants. But there
are lots of other branches, too. While some
biologists work in laboratories, others do
more of their research outdoors. They
include ecologists, who investigate how living
things interact with their surroundings.

a Puffin researcher
A Norwegian ecologist measures a puffin
chick, called a puffling. This is part of his
research into Atlantic puffin populations
in their clifftop nesting sites.

Active animals
From termites to tigers, animals form the largest
and most varied group of living things. Animals
feed on plants or other animals. To find food, they
move actively and use their senses, just like this
grizzly bear, which has caught a migrating salmon.
6

Essential equipment NATURE RANGER’S CODE

SEE HOW SIMPLE ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT CAN MAKE NATURE-RANGING EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE

When you are nature-

Nature-ranging is something that might ranging, do not harm any
take a few minutes or a whole day. But wildlife or yourself. Always
you can often make the experience more follow these five rules:
• Don’t touch any animal
interesting by having the right equipment or fungus with your bare
at the right time. For example, there’s hands unless you know
nothing more frustrating than spotting it is harmless.
• Don’t pick wild flowers.
a distant bird or mammal that you You can photograph or
cannot identify because you don’t draw them instead.
have a pair of binoculars. • If you take away any
animals, return them
to their homes after
studying them.
FIELD KIT • If you move logs or rocks,
Here you can see some useful nature-ranging return them carefully to
equipment. Use this field kit to spot, record, and their original position.
collect wildlife. You won’t need to take all these items • In the country, get
with you at the same time. Sometimes you may need permission before you
other equipment, such as dip nets (see opposite).
explore private land.

To take
photos
To observe
from afar

Binoculars
Camera
Magnifying
Notebook, pen, glass
colored pencils
To see tiny
To take notes creatures
and sketch

Tweezers
Flashlight
To pick up specimens

To see at night

Self-seal
plastic bags

Small plastic
box with lid
For samples
For living specimens
 7
Nature expedition

SEE HOW SIMPLE ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT CAN MAKE NATURE-RANGING EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE
It’s often more fun, and ON SCREEN
safer, to go on a nature
expedition with some Got a digital camera and
friends. You can compare a computer? Then take
notes and share information pictures of the wildlife you
about what you find. These find when you go nature-
children are doing some ranging. You can store
pond-dipping in search of these on your computer.
freshwater animals. They are It’s a great way to keep a
using dip nets and buckets. record of your expeditions.
Pond skater s
You can enlarge images of the
creatures you photograph. This is an
image of a pond skater, an insect that
walks over the surface of ponds.
8

WHERE TO LOOK
Animals in action
DISCOVER HOW BIRDWATCHING IS A FUN AND EASY WAY TO WATCH ANIMALS IN ACTION

• In backyards—for
visiting birds that feed Whether you are lying on a beach, exploring
on worms, beetles, or in a woods, or cleaning out a basement, in all
at a bird feeder. these places—and many more—you should
• In woodland trees and
shrubs—for songbirds, see animals in action. Remember, however,
woodpeckers, and owls. some animals live their lives hidden from our
• Near the coast—for gaze—unless we make a special effort to look
gulls and terns.
• On seashores—for for them. But others, especially birds, are
wading birds. easily seen, even in cities. Find out how to
• On rivers and lakes— watch birds and record what you see.
for waterfowl, herons,
and kingfishers.
• In mountainous areas
and open country—
for birds of prey.

CREATE A NATURE DIARY

There’s no better way to record your nature-ranging
activities than to create a nature diary. You can
make notes about the animals that you see, where
and when you saw them, and what they were doing.
Make drawings and take photographs to illustrate
your diary, and stick in feathers, fur, and any other
items that provide evidence of animals in action. Birdwatching
Don’t forget to record the plants and fungi that Whether you have a few
you see, as well! minutes to spare, or all day,
Keep a week-by- you can become a birdwatcher.
week record of Identifying birds may be a
what you see bit frustrating at first, but
be patient. In time—with the
help of your binoculars and
bird guide—you’ll be able to
recognize species not just by
ard their shape, size, and coloring,
1 cky anuts
July on ba pe but also by the way they
ds i n g
Bir
e r eat
feed move and behave.
 9
Animal variety

DISCOVER HOW BIRDWATCHING IS A FUN AND EASY WAY TO WATCH ANIMALS IN ACTION
SUNBATHERS Below are the main animal groups.
The first five groups are vertebrates—
If you live or visit animals with backbones. But the sixth—
somewhere that has invertebrates—includes many more
long, warm summers, species than vertebrates.
you will probably see lizards
sunbathing on rocks or walls Mammals s
in the early morning sun. These warm-blooded
This is because the body animals have hairy bodies
temperature of lizards and and produce milk to feed
their young. They include
other reptiles varies with
bats, cats, deer, horses,
the outside temperature,
and, of course, you. Field mouse
so they need to reach a
certain body temperature
Spiny-footed lizard to become active enough to Birds s
Herring
sunbathing on a rock search for food. Also warm-blooded, gull
birds have feathers,
they can fly, and they
lay eggs from which
young hatch. They feed
using toothless beaks.

Reptiles s
Snakes, lizards, turtles,
and crocodiles are all
reptiles—animals
that lay eggs, have
scaly skin, and need
external warmth to
become active. Grass snake

Amphibians s
These are creatures
WHAT YOU WILL NEED that live both in water
and on land, such as
• Notebook frogs, toads, salamanders,
and newts. They are moist-
• Pencil skinned, cold-blooded animals. Frog
• Binoculars
• Camera
• Bird identification
guide Stickleback
Fish s
These powerful swimmers, with
streamlined bodies, slippery scales, and
gills for breathing, are perfectly adapted
for life in fresh water or in the sea.

Invertebrates s
Animals that lack
backbones, such as
mollusks, worms,
crustaceans, and
insects, are known Grasshopper
as invertebrates.
10

Creepy-crawlies, worms, and slugs

USE A GRAPEFRUIT SKIN TO TRAP SMALL CREATURES THAT COME OUT AT NIGHT

You are sure to come across creepy-crawlies,

WHAT YOU WILL NEED
worms, slugs, and their relatives while nature-
ranging. Creepy-crawlies include insects and • Grapefruit
• Cutting board
other animals, such as centipedes, spiders, • Knife
and scorpions, with tough outer skeletons and • Spoon
jointed legs. Worms include earthworms • Notebook and/or
digital camera
and, from the seashore, ragworms, while slug • Pencil
relatives include snails. Although some of • Paintbrush
• Small plastic container
these groups are distantly related, they are
all described as invertebrates—animals that Ask an adult to
lack a backbone. Try making help you cut the
grapefruit.
this trap to see which
invertebrates live nearby.

Take the grapefruit and The next morning, turn

1 ask an adult to cut it in 3 over the grapefruit skins
half. Scoop out the flesh using to see what you have trapped.
the spoon (the flesh can be put Brush animals into the plastic
aside and eaten later). container and try to identify
them. Slugs, snails, woodlice,
and beetles are common
visitors. Note down, or
photograph, what you
have found.

A garden slug is
lured into the trap

In the evening, put

2 the grapefruit skins,
hollow surface down, on the
soil in two different, sheltered
locations in your yard. Leave
them out overnight. Hopefully,
creepy-crawlies, slugs, and
other small animals will
take refuge under the
juicy “umbrella.”
 11
Invertebrate guide

USE A GRAPEFRUIT SKIN TO TRAP SMALL CREATURES THAT COME OUT AT NIGHT
EARTHWORM GARDENERS Here is a quick visual guide
to some of the small creatures
To be healthy and good for plant growth, you might come across when you
soil needs earthworms. These invertebrates are nature-ranging.
feed on soil, digesting its nutrients. When
they burrow through the ground, they
mix the soil layers, bringing important Insects s
substances to the top. Earthworms also Insects have six jointed
carry dead matter down from the surface. legs, and their body is
You’ll see these natural gardeners if you made of three parts. They
dig into soil, or when they come to the are the most numerous of all
surface after a rain shower. animals, and include beetles, Ground beetle
wasps, and butterflies.
a Worm burrows
The burrows made Centipedes s
by earthworms let Fast-running with long, flat
the soil “breathe,” bodies, these many-legged
allowing plant roots hunters kill prey using two Woodland centipede
to get oxygen. They poisonous, fanglike claws.
also help rainwater
to drain away so Crustaceans s
soil does not get Crabs and other crustaceans
waterlogged. have hard outer skeletons and
several pairs of jointed legs.
Most live in water, but a few, Hermit crab
such as woodlice, live on land.

Spiders s
These carnivores have fangs
that release deadly poison into
their prey. Their bodies are
divided into two sections, and
they have four pairs of legs. House spider

Scorpions s
These eight-legged spider
relatives, which live in warmer
countries, catch prey with their
claws. Then they paralyze it
with the poisonous sting at
the end of their bendy “tail.”
Imperial scorpion
Worms s
Various groups of animals
that have a long, soft, legless
body are referred to as
worms. They include
earthworms, leeches,
ragworms, and flatworms.
Ragworm
HANDY TIP Mollusks s
Snails, slugs, and other
After you have studied and mollusks have a soft body,
identified small creatures, often protected by a hard shell.
always return them to where Most are slow-moving, but
you found them. animals in one group, squid
and octopuses, are fast-moving. Banded snail
12

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Wildlife detective
BUILD A SIMPLE BLIND SO YOU CAN WATCH ANIMALS WITHOUT SCARING THEM AWAY

• Four garden canes

around 5 ft (1.5 m) Most birds and mammals will generally make
long (for the uprights) a rapid escape if they sense the presence of a
• Four garden canes human. So, to be able to watch and photograph
around 3 ft (1 m) long
(for the crossbars) creatures at close range, you need to use
• String some tricks to conceal yourself. One of the
• Scissors best ways of doing this is to build a blind with
• Garden netting
(such as that used by leaves and netting. Once you’re inside the
gardeners to protect blind, nearby creatures won’t know you’re
soft fruit from birds) there, and will behave completely naturally.
• Twigs, leaves, and ferns
• Binoculars or camera
• Notebook and pencil

Pick a suitable place Using string, tie Drape the netting

1 for the blind—for 2 one of the crossbars 3 over the canes.
example, in a backyard or to two of the upright long Decide on the entry point
woods. Push the long canes canes, just below the top to the blind—probably
into the ground to form a of those canes. Repeat with near trees or shrubs.
square. Each side should be the other crossbar canes Insert fallen leaves, twigs,
just under 3 ft (1 m), which is to form a square around and ferns into the netting
the length of the crossbars. the top of the uprights. to camouflage the blind.

LOW PROFILE
This is a quick alternative to building a blind.
Collect some leafy branches or fern fronds, lie
on the ground, and use them to cover yourself.
With a low profile, leafy camouflage, and by
staying still, you can watch animals without
them noticing, even when you are very close.
a Undercover
A covering of leaves and branches breaks up the
outline of your body so it is much less obvious to
passing animals. You could also use brown and
green face paint to disguise yourself.
 13

BUILD A SIMPLE BLIND SO YOU CAN WATCH ANIMALS WITHOUT SCARING THEM AWAY
Birds will
come very close
because they
cannot see you

HANDY TIP
Don’t make any unnecessary
noises in the blind—even
small sounds will frighten
animals away.

Get inside the blind,

4 and clear several
small bits of camouflage so SCENT AND WIND
you can see out at eye level.
Keep quiet, be patient, and Most land mammals have a very sharp
wait for mammals and birds sense of smell. If you are watching
to arrive. Use your binoculars mammals, check the wind direction.
or camera to get a close-up Make sure that any breeze or wind
view, and make a note of is blowing into your face. If
what you see. the wind is blowing in the
opposite direction, your
scent will be carried
toward the animal and
may frighten it away.

Leaves mask the a Weasel

outline of the blind, This small predator
making it “invisible” raises its snout to
sniff the air. It will
detect the smell
of humans as well
as that of prey.
14

Trails and traces

FIND OUT HOW TO IDENTIFY ANIMALS BY THE CLUES THEY LEAVE BEHIND

Whether active at night or during the day, many wild

animals are creatures of habit. They follow the same
trails and pathways whenever they go in search of food.
If you discover a trail, you may get clues as to the animal’s
identity from the size of the trail or from any traces that
the passing animal has left behind, such as a scrap of
fur. Even animals that have visited an area only once
may accidentally deposit vital evidence. It’s
up to you to spot these trails and traces.

Animal runways
Some mammals, including this
nocturnal badger, follow regular
paths that can wear away grass
and undergrowth, leaving
a visible path or runway.

TRACKING ANIMALS
At one time, the only way to study
the movement and behavior of
an animal was to follow it. Today,
biologists can track animals by
fitting them with radio collars.
These send out radio signals,
which are picked up by aerials
or by satellites. The radio signals
allow researchers to map an
animal’s movements without
going anywhere near it.

Radio collars f
A lightweight radio collar doesn’t
stop this harvest mouse clambering
up grass stems and behaving normally.
 15
Animal traces

FIND OUT HOW TO IDENTIFY ANIMALS BY THE CLUES THEY LEAVE BEHIND
ANIMAL UNDERPASSES Whenever you go out nature-ranging, keep
an eye out for anything that may have been
Millions of animals worldwide are killed left behind by a passing animal. Even a tiny
each year while crossing roads. They may be scrap of fur left on a fence or bush can help
following a regular path in order to feed, or, you to identify a recent visitor. Other things to
like toads and some other animals, making look out for are feathers from a molting bird
an annual migration in order to breed. In or even a discarded snake skin. These vital
some places, special tunnels have been clues can help you put together a picture of
built to help animals avoid roads. the animals that live in your area, even though
you may rarely spot the animals themselves.
a Toad tunnel
A toad emerges
from an under- Snake skin s
road tunnel in This grass snake
Sussex, England. has just shed its scaly
Toads cross roads skin. Snakes do this
when returning when their skin gets
to their home too small for their
ponds in spring growing body. Look
to breed. Tunnels out for snake skins
like this one and see if you can
greatly reduce identify their owners.
the numbers
of toads killed
by traffic. Fur deposit s
When they are on
the move, mammals
rub against sharp
objects, such as
thorns, leaving behind
tufts of fur that can
identify them. Here,
a rabbit has left some
of its fur on a barbed-
wire fence.

Snail trail s
A shiny, silvery trail
is a sure sign that
a snail or slug has
recently passed that
way. They produce a
WHERE TO LOOK film of slippery mucus
that helps them to
Wherever you go, be on glide over sidewalks,
the lookout for trails walls, or leaves.
and traces, such as in:
• Gardens Missing bark s
• Woods and forests Some mammals use
• Edges of fields trees as “scratching
• Open prairie or posts.” This red deer
is using a branch to
grasslands rub the “felt” off its
• Dry scrub growing antlers. Such
• Coastal areas rubbing leaves telltale
marks, but also
damages the bark.
16

Animal footprints WHAT YOU WILL NEED

MAKE A PERMANENT RECORD OF ANIMAL FOOTPRINTS USING PLASTER OF PARIS

• Strip of thin cardboard

Wild mammals tend to stay out of sight, 10 in (25 cm) long and
and some come out only at night. But even 11/2 in (4 cm) wide
if you don’t see an animal, you can detect its • Paper clips
• Pitcher of water
presence by the telltale footprints it leaves. • Mixing bowl or pail
By identifying tracks, you can discover which • Plaster of Paris
animals live in your neighborhood or the • Spoon
• Water
places you go nature-ranging. Tracks also • Old toothbrush
tell you how animals move. You can produce
a permanent record of mammal and other
animal tracks by making casts of them
using plaster of Paris.

Find some animal Remove any loose Put some plaster

1 tracks. Good places 2 twigs or leaves from the 3 of Paris into the bowl.
to look are shady woods or footprints. Shape the strip of Slowly pour water from the
near ponds where there cardboard into a ring, securing pitcher into the bowl, stirring
is moist, firm mud or sand. it with the paper clips. Push the mixture continually with
When you find some tracks, the ring downward so it the spoon. When you have
look for the clearest ones. surrounds the footprints. smooth, slightly runny plaster,
Shown above are clear Make sure there are no pour it into the cardboard ring.
examples of deer footprints. gaps around the bottom.

Observing tracks
When you come across
tracks, count the number Front
of toes, and look out for Front
claw marks. Also look at the Hind Hind
shape of the footprints. Some Dog family f Cat family f
mammals, including dogs Members of the dog family, such Cat footprints, such as lynx and
and cats, walk on their toes, as foxes and wolves, show four bobcat, show four front and hind
while others walk with their toes in both front and hind feet. toes. There are no claw marks—
heels flat on the ground. They also leave claw marks. claws are pulled in when walking.
 17

MAKE A PERMANENT RECORD OF ANIMAL FOOTPRINTS USING PLASTER OF PARIS

FOOTPRINTS IN THE SNOW
A snowy winter’s day can
provide a good opportunity
to search for animal tracks.
Snow is a great surface for
spotting footprints—in this
case, those of a snowshoe
hare. Hares and rabbits
move by hopping or bounding.
They push off with their long,
powerful hind feet and land
on their smaller front feet.
Their hind feet land just
ahead of their front feet
ready to push off again. Snowshoe hare tracks

Deer
These animals belong to
the group of even-toed,
hoofed mammals that
also includes pigs
and cattle. The
twin, hoofed toes
on each foot
leave an easily
recognized
footprint.

Leave the plaster to set for

4 about 15 minutes. Then, lift
up the plaster—complete with the
cardboard ring—take it home, and
leave for a further 24 hours to set
completely. Brush off any remaining
mud with the old toothbrush. Try to
identify which animal made the print.

Front Front

Hind Hind Front

Mustelid family f Rodents f Rabbits and hares s

Animals of the mustelid family, Squirrels and other rodents With four toes, front and rear,
such as otters and badgers, have walk flat on their feet. They rabbit and hare tracks are easy to
five front and hind toes. They have four front and five hind identify because the hind foot is Hind
also have extended claws. toes. They also have claws. much longer than the front.
18

Bones and teeth IMPORTANT

FIND OUT ABOUT ANIMALS FROM THE BONES AND TEETH LEFT BEHIND WHEN THEY DIE

When handling bones,

always wear rubber gloves
When animals die, their skin, muscles, and and wash the gloves
other soft parts soon rot away or are eaten afterward.
by other animals. But their bones and teeth
remain—and can tell you a lot about the Necrophagous beetles
The word necrophagous
animal they once belonged to. When you go means “eating the dead,”
nature-ranging, look out for skulls and other and that’s exactly what these
beetles do. Here you can see
bones and see if you can tell what animal one feeding on a dead shrew.
they came from. Some biologists clean the Some biologists use these
beetles to strip soft tissues
bones from dead animals and rebuild from animals that died
their skeletons for further study. naturally in the wild,
so that only the
skeleton is left.

BONE STRUCTURE
If you find long bones, such as leg bones, you may be able to tell
whether they come from mammals or birds. Bird bones are lighter
compared to their size because they are either hollow or contain air
spaces reinforced by a honeycomb
of struts. A bird’s light skeleton
makes flight possible.

Mammal and bird bones s

As you can see, the structure of
a mammal bone is thicker and
heavier than that of a bird bone.
A bird bone has only a thin outer
layer surrounding a large space.
Cow bone Bird bone

Chisel-like
incisor teeth
Dental check
In open fields or woods,
you may find a mammal
skull, such as the ones
shown here. The shape and
teeth can identify a skull's
owner and its diet. There
are four types of mammal Hedgehog f Rabbit f
teeth. Incisors at the front The hedgehog’s big incisors and Hares and rabbits are herbivores
bite and slice. Canines sharp, biting premolars and molars with long, gnawing incisors. These
pierce and grip. Large are ideal for its varied diet, which teeth grow constantly so they don’t
premolars and molars includes beetles, worms, and slugs, wear down as they slide past each
at the back grind or cut. as well as birds’ eggs and carrion. other to slice off pieces of grass.
 19

FIND OUT ABOUT ANIMALS FROM THE BONES AND TEETH LEFT BEHIND WHEN THEY DIE
SKELETONS
You may have seen skeletons
like this squirrel skeleton. It
shows the features of most
rodents—short limbs, gnawing incisor teeth, and
long hind feet. These skeletons are produced in
various ways. The soft tissues of the dead animal
can be removed by burying it so they decay or by
exposing it to necrophagous beetles. The separate
bones are cleaned and sterilized, then dried and Skeleton of
assembled into a skeleton. a squirrel

Fox d
Meat-eaters, such as this fox, use their
long canines for grabbing and holding
prey, sharp incisors to cut meat, and
the sharp edges of their molar teeth
to slice through flesh and crack bones.

Pointed
canine Premolar teeth
tooth for grinding
Deer f
Herbivores such as deer and goats eat a diet
of plants. Incisors in the lower jaw press against
a hard pad in the upper jaw to grab vegetation.
Large, flattened premolars and molars move
side-to-side, grinding tough plants into pulp.
20

Food clues
USE FOOD CLUES TO FIND OUT WHICH ANIMALS LIVE WHERE YOU ARE NATURE-RANGING

When some animals feed, they leave behind

Wings are
no traces of what they ate. Many animals, tough and
rarely eaten
however, are much messier, and leave clues
that show what they are and what they’ve
been eating. Look carefully when you’re
exploring nature and you’ll soon notice
plenty of these clues, enabling you to
build up a list of the animals that live
in an area. For example, if you find an
animal corpse, a quick look may reveal
what kind of animal made the kill. If you
find chewed leaves or nuts, you may even
be able to tell which animal did the chewing.
Just wings
Bird wings can indicate a kill
by a fox or coyote, or by a bird
of prey. Wings are often left
behind because they contain
little meat. These wings mark
the spot where a fox killed a jay.
A bird of prey usually leaves a
ring of neatly plucked feathers.

Chipmunk gnaws
a nut held in its
front paws

Gnawed nuts
Rodents use their chisel-like teeth to
gnaw into hard nuts to reach the seed
inside. The remains of the shell can
identify which rodent was feeding.
Chipmunks and squirrels, for
example, split nuts cleanly in half.
 21

IMPORTANT Caterpillar of common

USE FOOD CLUES TO FIND OUT WHICH ANIMALS LIVE WHERE YOU ARE NATURE-RANGING
mormon butterfly
If you find a dead animal,
or part of one, look at it
but do not touch it.

Chewed leaves
Lots of insects eat leaves.
Many favor specific plants,
or feed in a particular way.
Beetles, for example, often
cut pieces from the middle
of leaves, while caterpillars
bite bits from the edge.

Caterpillars
chew leaf margins

FOOD STORES
Some animals cache, or store, food
for future use. In summer and fall, for
Fish heads example, you may see squirrels or jays
You may find fish heads, tails, or other chewed burying seeds and nuts that they will
remains on the banks of clean freshwater retrieve in winter when food is in short
streams or ponds, or on some isolated seashores. supply. Orb-web spiders wrap up prey in
This can indicate the presence of otters. silk packages for eating later. If you come
across a small animal impaled on a thorn
Smashed or the spike of a barbed wire fence, you
whelk shells may have found a shrike’s pantry.

Crushed
winkle shells
Broken
crab claws

Open
mussel
shells Shrike’s pantry f
Great grey shrikes feed on small mammals,
Gull garbage reptiles, amphibians, and insects. Here,
On rocky shores, many animals are encased in a one has impaled a sparrow on a tree thorn,
shell or hard case. Hungry gulls get around this by which will act as a “pantry” until the bird
is ready to eat its prey.
dropping their prey onto rocks to smash the outer
covering so the juicy flesh can be extracted.
22

Animal droppings WHAT TO LOOK FOR

LOOK AT THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF DROPPINGS TO IDENTIFY WHICH ANIMAL PASSED BY AND WHEN

• Tube-shaped
All animals leave behind droppings, or droppings, perhaps
scats as they’re sometimes known. For with pointed end
nature rangers, droppings are a mine of (fox, raccoon, skunk,
opossum, or bear)
information, and it’s quite safe to study • Thinner, rounded tube
them as long as you don’t touch them with (cats, such as lynx)
bare hands. A professional naturalist can • Long, thin (weasel
or stoat)
tell which animal produced droppings and • Rounded with plant
when, what the animal had eaten, how big fiber content (deer,
it was, and what sex. Don’t expect to be able rabbits, or hares)
• Rice-grain shaped
to do this when you start, but you will soon (rats and other
be able to tell the difference between rodents)
different types of mammal droppings.

CLEANUP SQUAD
What happens to animal droppings? Most are broken
down by soil fungi and bacteria. But some are dealt
with by a cleanup squad of insects. For example,
you might spot a dung beetle pushing a ball
of dung away to an underground nest. In
the nest, a female beetle lays her eggs
in the dung. When her young hatch, they
emerge into an instant food supply.

Dung beetle rolling a ball of dung

Droppings gallery
By examining droppings, you
can get a good idea of which
animal passed by recently,
and what it ate. Herbivore
droppings are rounded with
traces of indigestible plant Rabbit droppings f Deer droppings f
fibers. Carnivore droppings These spherical droppings The droppings left by deer are
are usually long and may are very common and often dark and cylindrical. Deer eat
contain fur, bones, and other found in small clumps. Rabbit low-nutrient vegetation, so they
prey remains. Here are droppings are dark brown when have to eat a lot to derive any
some common examples fresh, but turn greener and benefit. Hence, they leave behind
of droppings to look out for. paler as they age and dry out. large amounts of droppings.
 23

LOOK AT THE SIZE AND SHAPE OF DROPPINGS TO IDENTIFY WHICH ANIMAL PASSED BY AND WHEN
BIRD PELLETS
At first glance, bird pellets might look like droppings but
they are not. So what exactly are they? Birds don’t have
teeth, so they can’t chew their food. Some birds swallow
food whole, then regurgitate the hard, indigestible parts
of their meal as a soft package called a pellet. Perhaps the
most interesting pellets are produced by owls. You can look
for these at the bottom of trees or fence posts, or in
old barns, where owls roost. Owl pellets can
be moistened and gently pulled apart
Animal latrine to reveal tiny skulls, bones, and fur.
Some mammals leave their
droppings in specific locations
called latrines. These smelly
piles mark out the boundary of
that particular animal’s territory
(in this case a badger’s) and Owl pellet Bones found in pellet
warn other members of the
same species to stay away.

Buried droppings
Have you noticed how domestic cats
dig a shallow hole to defecate into,
then carefully cover their droppings
with soil? The same is true for wild
species of small cats, such as this
bobcat. Sometimes, droppings may
also be left in a latrine to mark territory.

IMPORTANT
Never handle animal
droppings or pellets
with your bare hands.
Always wear rubber
gloves, which should be
washed afterward.

Otter droppings f Fox droppings f Wild cat droppings f

Spraints, or otter droppings, are Foxes are omnivores (they eat Cats feed only on other
often found on riverbanks. They both plants and meat). So their animals. Their droppings
are irregular in shape, black and tubular, sometimes twisted, can have rounded or tapering
sticky when fresh, and contain droppings may contain the fur ends, and may be divided into
fish and insect parts. They may of small animals, insect wings smaller pieces. Droppings
be used to mark territory. and casings, or wild fruit seeds. may contain animal fur.
24

Hiding and warning WHAT YOU WILL NEED

MAKE “INSECTS” FROM TOOTHPICKS AND SEE HOW ANIMALS USE COLOR TO CONCEAL THEMSELVES

• 40 toothpicks
Lots of animals use colors and patterns • 2 glasses of water
as a form of disguise—called camouflage— colored with food
that helps them to blend in with their coloring (1 red
and 1 green)
surroundings. They hide in this way to avoid • Paper towels
being eaten by predators or being spotted • Stopwatch or watch
by their prey. Some poisonous animals use with a second hand
• Tray
a different strategy—their bright colors and • Two friends
bold patterns act as a warning to predators
not to touch them. Recruit some friends
to see how camouflage works. Red toothpicks
are easily “caught”
because they stand out

ANIMAL MIMICS
Many poisonous animals use bright colors
and patterns to warn would-be predators
to back off. Some harmless animals mimic
these warning colors to fool enemies
into thinking they are dangerous, too.
For example, the red, black, and yellow
bands of the harmless milk snake deter its
predators because they mimic those of the
highly venomous and deadly coral snake.

The striped
pattern is
also an excellent
camouflage on
the forest floor

Brazilian
coral snake

Overnight, soak 20 toothpicks in the

1 green-colored water and 20 in the
Milk
red-colored water. Remove and dry them on
snake
the paper towels. The toothpicks represent
two varieties of the “insect” Toothpick.
 25

MAKE “INSECTS” FROM TOOTHPICKS AND SEE HOW ANIMALS USE COLOR TO CONCEAL THEMSELVES
SCARY INSECTS
On summer walks, take a look at the
wings of passing butterflies. Many, such
as this South American owl butterfly, have
eye-shaped patterns on their wings, which
resemble larger animals’ eyes. The sudden
flash of the eyespots when the wings open
or close can startle predators such as small
birds. This gives the butterfly vital seconds
in which to escape from its enemy.

Staying out of sight

Always look carefully at your surroundings. Eyespot gives
impression of
You never know what may be concealed by
an owl’s eye
camouflage. Take this young fawn, for example—
its spotted fur breaks up its outline as it rests
in the dappled sunlight.

Owl
butterfly

IMPORTANT
Make sure that you pick
up all the toothpicks from
the ground after this
activity. Don’t leave
any in the grass.

Make sure it’s not going to rain,

2 then—on your own—find a patch of
ground where the grass is neither too long
The “birds”
nor too short. “Plant” the toothpicks at find far more
random in the ground, so that they do not red “insects”
stick up above the tops of the grass.

Ask your friends to become birds Put the toothpicks on the tray and count how
3 that prey on Toothpick insects. They 4 many red ones and how many green ones
can use one hand only—as a bird would use your “birds” have caught. You should find they have
its beak. Give them 30 seconds to get as many more red than green—the green “insects”
many toothpicks as they can. are much better camouflaged in the green grass.
26

Animal homes
FIND OUT ABOUT THE SHELTERS THAT ANIMALS CONSTRUCT AND HOW THEY USE THEM

Many animals build homes that they occupy

for part or all of the year. They use these
homes to protect themselves from predators,
rain, high winds, and floods, and to provide
a safe haven in which to raise their young.
Sometimes animals also use their homes to Squirrel’s dray
On woodland walks, look out
catch and store food. Animal homes include for a squirrel’s dray—shown
tunnels—especially in open ground such as here opened up—high up in
trees. Made from sticks and
prairie and coastal areas—and various types twigs, and lined with leaves
of nests. Homes can be made from mud, and grasses, it provides a cosy
shelter from cold weather.
sticks, grass, or other locally found materials,
or from materials made by the animal itself, IMPORTANT
such as a spider’s silk. A key part of nature- If you find an animal home,
ranging is identifying these homes and their do not disturb it, and
never put your hand into
occupants. Here are a few examples a nest or burrow in
case it contains a
to help you get started. dangerous animal.

MOBILE HOMES
At risk of being attacked
by predators when looking
for food? Why not carry
your home around with you,
ready to retreat into should
danger threaten? Well, that’s
precisely what some small
animals do. For example,
mollusks, such as snails,
periwinkles, and whelks,
secrete a spiral shell that
protects them and makes Hermit crab f
them very hard to swallow. This hermit crab is housed in an empty
A discarded mollusk shell whelk shell. At the first sign of attack,
also provides a useful mobile it retreats inside the shell. As the crab
home for the hermit crab. grows, it finds a bigger shell to move into.
 27

FIND OUT ABOUT THE SHELTERS THAT ANIMALS CONSTRUCT AND HOW THEY USE THEM
a Underground
home
Burrows hide their
owners from hungry
predators, protect them f Mud house
from bad weather, and In midsummer, you may be able
may serve as a nesting to spot the cup-shaped nests of
site. This Atlantic puffin swallows under the eaves of houses
uses a clifftop burrow as or on the rafters of barns. These
a safe place to lay eggs insect-eating birds build their
and to raise its young. nests from grass and mud.

Insect trap s
This web spun by an orb-weaver spider is
both a home and a trap for flying insects.
Once entangled, the struggling insect makes
the web vibrate, alerting the spider, which
subdues and then feeds on its prey.

d Beaver lodge
The lodge, or nest, of a family of beavers
is made from sticks and mud, and has
an underwater entrance. Beavers are big,
tree-eating rodents. They live in forest lakes
or ponds formed when they dam
streams with branches.
28

Wildlife at night
GO NATURE-RANGING AT NIGHT TO SEE ANIMALS THAT ARE ACTIVE AFTER DARK

Unlike us, many animals hide and rest during

the day, only becoming active as it starts to
get dark. This nocturnal lifestyle gives animals
some invisibility to avoid predators or to ambush
prey. It also means that they avoid competition
for food and other resources with animals that
are active during the day. If you know how to
do it, the hours of darkness are a great time
to go on an expedition to spot nocturnal wildlife,
including bats, opossums, and moths.

MOTH TRAP
Most moths are active
after dark, seeking out
night-scented flowers to
feed on. You’ve probably
noticed that moths are WHAT YOU WILL NEED
attracted to light, although
no one is exactly sure why. • Flashlight
Scientists who study moths • Notebook
take advantage of their • Pen or pencil
attraction to light by setting • Warm clothes
up moth traps, such as the
one shown here. They can
then check the number
Don’t go out after
and variety of moths in dark without
a particular area. an adult.
Commercial moth trap

Eye shine
Many nocturnal mammals have
a layer called the tapetum inside
their eyes that reflects light. This
greatly increases sensitivity in dim
light or darkness so that animals
can see more. The tapetum also
reflects light from a flashlight,
producing green or red eye shine.
Here are some examples.
Raccoon Badger
 29

GO NATURE-RANGING AT NIGHT TO SEE ANIMALS THAT ARE ACTIVE AFTER DARK

BAT TRICK

Sensitive ears f
Bats pinpoint prey by
sending out pulses of high- Long-eared bats
pitched sounds, then listening
for echoes produced when they
bounce off prey.
In summer or early fall, you may notice bats—the
only mammals that can fly—flitting around trees. Bats are
nocturnal, and most feed on flying insects, such as moths,
which they catch using a type of “animal sonar” called
echolocation. Try throwing small pellets of bread into the air.
This may trick bats into swooping down to catch their “prey,”
and you will see them silhouetted against the twilight sky.

HANDY TIP
Take sandwiches and
a hot drink with you when
you go nature-ranging
at night.

Out at night
The key to successful nighttime nature-ranging is to move
quietly and to wait patiently. Use your flashlight to find your
way around, but do not leave it on all the time. If you go out
on a moonlit night, this will provide you with dim, natural light
to see nocturnal animals.

Wild cat Deer Wolves

30

Making a bat box

MAKE A BOX WHERE BATS CAN LIVE AND BREED

One in five of all the world’s mammals

is a bat, so no matter where you are, it is
likely there are bats living nearby. Here we
show you how to build a safe, comfortable box
where bats can live and breed. It may take a
few months for bats to start using this new
home, so be patient. Look out for droppings, HANDY TIP
urine staining, and “chattering,” which Bats like a clear path to
their roost, so place the box
are all signs that the away from branches
1 in (2.5 cm) and foliage.
box is occupied.
a
Use the tape measure, ruler,
1 and pencil to mark up the
plank of wood and then letter each
8 in (20 cm)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED piece as shown. Saw along the lines
b
and sand away any rough edges.
• Plank of softwood
6 x 45 x 1⁄2 in
(15 x 113 x 1.5 cm) a
(14.5 cm)

• Tape measure
53⁄4 in

e
c
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Saw On the back plate (e),
(9 cm)
31⁄2 in

• Sandpaper d 2 draw a pencil line 11⁄2 in

(4 cm) from the top. Glue
113 cm (45 in)

• Waterproof glue
• Approximately twenty down the edge of the strip
of wood (a) along that line.
1-in (2.5-cm) nails Secure from the back
• Hammer with nails.
13 in (33 cm)

• Two 2-in (5-cm) nails

e a f

Adult supervision is
needed when using e
the saw and
hammer.
51⁄2 in (14 cm)

g
20 cm (8 in)

f
IMPORTANT
Do not use any paint or Rough up the interior walls using
wood preservatives, since 3 the teeth of the saw. This is so the
8 in (20 cm)

14 cm (51⁄2 in)

bats are sensitive to bat can get a better grip. Glue the edges of
smells and some chemicals g side panels (f and g) onto the back plate (e),
are harmful to bats. so that the top edges are glued 1 in (2.5 cm)
beneath the strip (a). Secure with nails.

6 in (15 cm)
 31

MAKE A BOX WHERE BATS CAN LIVE AND BREED

Seeing bats
Bat droppings under your bat box are a
sure sign it is occupied. The best time to
see “your” bats in flight is around dusk.
To increase the chance that bats will move in,
make sure your bat box is sheltered from strong
winds, exposed to sun for part of the day,and
placed high up the tree to be safe from cats.
Ask an adult to help you
e nail the box to a tree trunk
b e
a Glue and nail
Glue the front 5
4 panel (c) onto the base (d),
the front edges of leaving a 21⁄2-in (6-cm)
side pieces (f and g), slit at the back. Place
making sure that two nails on the roof (b)
g g
the panel juts out 1 in (3 cm) from each
at the bottom by edge and about 11⁄4 in
1⁄2 in (1.5 cm). (4 cm) from the front to
f f
Adjust if the plank act as a stop inside the
of wood is slightly c box. Nail the top and
c
thicker. Secure bottom of the box to
with nails. a tree, using two 2-in
d
(5-cm) nails.

BATS IN THE WILD

In the wild, bats roost (rest and sleep) in places
that provide shelter from predators or from bad
weather. These roosting places include caves,
abandoned buildings, old mines, underneath
bridges, or, in warmer parts of the world, tree
branches. Most bats roost together in colonies that
can contain thousands or even millions of bats.

Roosting fruit bats s

Hanging upside-down with wings folded, a colony
of fruit bats roost in a cave in Thailand.
32

Plant planet
WATCH PLANTS MAKE FOOD AND EXPLORE PLANT VARIETY

Earth’s land surface provides a home

Test tube is full
for an astonishing variety of plants. of water at the
beginning of
They have the unique ability to make the experiment
their own food by photosynthesis. This
is the process by which plants use the In sunlight, the
pondweed slowly
green chlorophyll that colors their releases tiny
oxygen bubbles
leaves to trap the Sun’s energy to make
sugars. Photosynthesis also releases the
oxygen that you and other organisms
breathe in. You can use pondweed to
see the process in action.

Pondweed in
upside-down funnel

Half fill a sink with

1 cold water. Hold the
jar underwater, put some
pondweed in it, then place the
funnel upside-down inside
the jar to “trap” the pondweed.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Glass jar
• Test tube
• Wide-necked funnel
• Pondweed, such as
hornwort or elodea
• Wooden splint or taper
Now hold the test tube
• Matches 2 underwater so it fills with
• Water water. After making sure there Keeping the jar, funnel,
is no air inside the test tube, 3 and test tube upright,
An adult should carefully slide its open end remove them together from
help you when you over the spout of the funnel. the water in the sink. Carefully
use the matches tip a little water from the jar
and splint. so it does not spill over. Place
the assembled equipment
indoors on a sunny windowsill.
 33
After a The world of plants

WATCH PLANTS MAKE FOOD AND EXPLORE PLANT VARIETY

few hours in
sunlight, the PLANT CENSUS There are 300,000 different
test tube fills plant types on Earth, but most
with oxygen Wherever you look, there are often belong to one of four groups
many different plants living side by that you will easily recognize.
side. You can find out how many
by carrying out a plant census. You Flowering plants d
need a measuring square called Around 80 percent of all
a quadrat. Throw the quadrat at plants reproduce using flowers
random over an area of ground, that produce seeds. The biggest
then record the plants in each small are broad-leaved trees, such as
square to make a quadrat map. oaks. The smallest is tiny
duckweed, which floats
on ponds.

Dog rose

a Conifers
Pines, firs, spruces,
cedars, and other
Quadrat f conifers produce
A quadrat consists of a square wooden seeds in cones
frame divided into 16 smaller squares instead of
by six pieces of string or wire. flowers.

When the tube is nearly filled

4 with oxygen, put your thumb Scots
pine
over the end of the tube and
remove it from the jar. Ferns s
Fond of
damp, shady
places, ferns
have fronds, or
leaves, divided
into leaflets. They
reproduce by
Buckler
releasing spores.
fern

Mosses and liverworts d

These small, delicate plants
grow in clumps in damp and
wet places. They have no true
roots or leaves, and reproduce
using spores.

Moss
Ask an adult to light the
5 splint, blow it out, then
put the glowing tip into the test
tube. It will relight, showing
that pure oxygen is present.
34

Secret senses
GROW A BEAN PLANT IN A BOX AND SEE HOW IT FINDS ITS WAY TO THE LIGHT OUTSIDE

Plants may not have eyes, but they can tell

where the Sun is. Their stems move as they
grow toward the Sun, searching out the light
needed for photosynthesis. They can also tell
“up” from “down” by sensing gravity. You can Tracking the Sun
watch this happen by putting a plant inside a Many plants follow the Sun,
turning their leaves toward
box and seeing how light steers its growth. it as the Sun moves across the
sky. Sunflowers, as their name
implies, have flowers that
Cardboard flaps track the Sun. Try watching
are held in place them on a sunny day.
by tape

HANDY TIP
Fit the lid of the
shoebox carefully to
stop stray light from
getting in.

Turn the box upright

Cut out two identical 3 with the hole at the
1 pieces of cardboard, top. Put some soil in the
as deep as the shoebox flowerpot, plant a bean seed
and two-thirds as wide. Paint the inside of about 3⁄4 in (2 cm) below the
Tape them in the box as 2 the box—including the surface, and water the pot.
shown. Then cut a small flaps and the lid—matte black Put the pot in the box and
hole in one end of the box. to reduce light reflection. fit the lid.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED INSECT TRAPPERS

• Shoebox with lid “Teeth” Some plants can move
• Cardboard Sensitive amazingly fast. This Venus
hair flytrap is a bog plant that lives
• Scissors
in poor soil. It “eats” insects
• Matte black paint for extra nutrients. If an insect
• Paintbrush touches the plant’s sensitive hairs,
• Tape the hinged leaves snap shut.
• Flowerpot The insect is trapped
• Potting soil and digested.
• Runner bean seed a Doomed damsel
• Notebook and/or This damselfly is about to trigger the
digital camera trap. “Teeth” at the edge of each pad
act as prison bars to prevent escape.
 35
Emerging shoot grows

GROW A BEAN PLANT IN A BOX AND SEE HOW IT FINDS ITS WAY TO THE LIGHT OUTSIDE
upward toward the light

Remove the lid at the same time

4 each day to check what is happening.
Record your findings using your notebook
or digital camera. Note how the bean
plant grows, and how readily it finds
its way toward light. Add a little water
each day to keep the soil moist.

GETTING A GRIP
Another way for plants to reach
light is to grip other plants. This
Plant grows around passionflower—just like vines,
the cardboard flap peas, and cucumber—uses spring-
as it seeks out light like tendrils to pull itself up. The
entering through
tendril tip winds around something
the hole above
solid, and the rest of the tendril
coils up to pull the plant upward.
Stroke the end of a tendril with
a matchstick and watch it curl.

Bean plant
emerges from the
germinating seed
within the soil

Passionflower
36

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Thirsty work
FOLLOW THE PROCESS BY WHICH PLANTS TAKE UP WATER BY USING FOOD COLORING

• Two drinking glasses

• Food coloring Plants need lots of water to grow and stay
• Water alive. Water also keeps plant cells firm,
• Spoon holding plants upright and in shape. Without
• Pale-colored flower
with a long stem, such water, plants wilt and die. Plants take in water
as a white carnation through their roots. It travels up microscopic
• Adhesive tape pipelines in their stems to leaves and flowers.
• Sharp knife
From here, much of the water evaporates into
Ask an adult to the air as water vapor. This process, called
split the stem. transpiration, provides the “pull” that draws
up more water through roots and stems.
You can see water moving up a plant in
this simple experiment.

Tape prevents
Wind some upper part of stem
2 tape around from splitting
Lay the flower carefully the stem just above
1 on a cutting surface. Ask the top end of the
an adult to slice its stem in cut. This prevents the Pour water into both
two, working from the base of stem from splitting any further. 3 glasses until they are
the stem to around halfway up. Each half stem contains water- three-quarters full. Add coloring
transporting tubes. to one glass and stir well.

STORING WATER
While most plants need a constant supply
of water, some plants have an amazing ability
to store water for long periods of time. The
most obvious are desert plants such as
cacti, which store water from infrequent
rain in their thick, expandable stems.
Some rainforest plants also store water.
These stores can sometimes provide a
life-saving drink of clean water for people
able to identify the right plants.
Water vine s
A forest dweller drinks water from a water vine
in the Amazonian rainforest in Brazil. He has cut
into the vine to release the fresh, clean water.
 37
Dye left behind

FOLLOW THE PROCESS BY WHICH PLANTS TAKE UP WATER BY USING FOOD COLORING
in petals as water
evaporates into the air

MAKING WEATHER
These petals stay
white because Around the equator, where temperatures
they receive plain are high all year, tropical rainforests
water from the influence the weather. When daily rain
left-hand glass soaks the forest soil, millions of trees,
shrubs, and other plants take up the
water. This water evaporates from their
leaves as water vapor, which forms
clouds over the rainforest. Eventually,
more rain falls from these clouds.
Separate mini-tubes in
stem carry plain water
and colored water

Tropical rainforest f
This aerial view of a lowland rainforest in the
Danum Valley in Borneo shows rain clouds
Tiny tubes carry forming above the treetops following heavy rain.
water and dye
up this half of
the stem

Put each half-stem into

4 one of the glasses. Support
Red coloring is the flower by leaning it against a
Glass contains plain dissolved in this wall or window. Leave the flower
water without any dye glass of water to take up water. Come back every
15 minutes to look at the petals.

Within one hour you

5 should see half of the flower
changing color. This indicates that
water is traveling up the stem
and into the flower. This is
happening along both half stems
but is only visible on the colored
side where the water reaching the
flower contains the dye.
38

Studying flowers
DISCOVER HOW TO PRESERVE FLOWERS BY PRESSING THEM SO THEY DRY OUT

We all enjoy the colors and scents of flowers. More

importantly, because flowers make and release
seeds, they play a vital part in a plant’s life cycle.
It’s fascinating to look at the many different types
of flowers. Most last only a short time
before they wither. However, if you
press them, the dried flowers
can last for years.

Flowers
arranged on
blotting paper
IMPORTANT
Many wildflowers are
Collect some plants Put a sheet of blotting protected by law, so it
1 with their flowers. If 2 paper on a book or
is illegal to pick them.
possible, identify the flowers board. Arrange the flowers on If you want to press
using a plant guide or by the blotting paper, but not too flowers, ask an adult
asking an adult who can close together. Cover them with which ones you can use.
recognize them. Pressing another sheet of blotting paper.
works best for freshly picked
flowers. By squeezing out
moisture, it dries the flower PARTS OF A FLOWER
and stops it from rotting.
All flowers share the same Petal
basic parts. Petals protect the
flower and attract pollinating Anther
animals. Stalked anthers
produce pollen, which contain
WHAT YOU WILL NEED male cells. These fertilize
female cells inside the
• Some heavy books central ovary to
and/or wooden boards produce seeds.
• Blotting paper
• Flowers Inside view s Ovary
• Plant guide Cut in half, this dwarf Iceland poppy flower
• Tape or white glue reveals its parts. Ask an adult to cut a flower
in half so you can see what’s inside.
 39
Flower heads

DISCOVER HOW TO PRESERVE FLOWERS BY PRESSING THEM SO THEY DRY OUT

OPENING AND CLOSING On some plants, flowers
grow singly on long stems.
Watch out for flowers On others, flowers develop in
opening and closing. clusters called flower heads
Flowers are easily damaged or inflorescences. These
by cold or heavy rain. So include spikes, umbels,
many plants protect their and composite flowers.
flowers by closing them at
night, when temperatures
drop, or if the sky darkens Single flower s
with clouds during the day. This hibiscus has
separate, single
Morning glory s flowers that
These flowers open in sunshine grow on their
but close at dusk or if it is own stalk, as
cloudy. They also change color do dog roses and
according to the temperature. lilies. Some plants,
such as tulips, have
only one flower.

Place a heavy
3 weight—such
as a pile of books—
a Spike
on top of the piece of In a spike, flowers without
blotting paper. Leave stalks are arranged on a
in position for about single upright stem, as
two weeks. This will in this mullein. Flowers
give time for the paper usually open in sequence,
to absorb water from the from the bottom upward.
flowers so that they dry out. Heavy books
press flowers
below

Umbel s
This hogweed
shows an umbel
arrangement. Small
flowers arise from the
same level on the stem
to form an umbrella-like
flower head that also
provides insects with
somewhere to land.

a Composite flower
At the center of this
sunflower are tight
After two weeks, carefully remove the weight clusters of tiny flowers,
4 and top sheet of blotting paper. Now arrange, called florets. These
and name, the dried flowers in your nature diary, but form a flower head
remember that they are quite fragile. Fix the pressed that resembles a
flowers in place using thin strips of tape or glue. single flower.
40

Pollination
FIND OUT HOW FLOWERS PRODUCE AND SPREAD POLLEN IN ORDER TO MAKE SEEDS

Flowers don’t grow just for

us to admire. They make
pollen, which is carried to
other flowers of the same
kind. This is called pollination.
The pollen is used to make
seeds. Some flowers use wind
to spread pollen, but many
depend on animal visitors, Long tongues
such as insects, to pollinate their flowers. Look out for butterflies visiting
sweet-smelling flowers, such
Attracted by a flower’s bright colors and as buddleia or this marjoram.
strong smells, animals come to feed on They uncoil their tongues to
reach the nectar at the bottom
nectar, a sweet-tasting liquid food. While of narrow, tube-shaped flowers.
they are there, animals pick up pollen and
carry it to other flowers. When animals IMPORTANT
pollinate flowers, they are often too busy Don’t touch or get too
close to bees while they are
to worry about being watched, so you may visiting flowers because
be able to observe them quite closely. they may sting you.

ALL ABOUT POLLEN

Pollen consists of tiny
specks called pollen
grains, made by anthers,
the male parts of the
flower. In wind-pollinated
flowers the grains are light
and dusty, but in animal-
pollinated flowers they
are often sticky. During
pollination, pollen
grains are carried to
the female part of the
same kind of flower,
where seeds
are made. a Anthers and stigma
Anthers (blue) surround
the stigma (red), the tip
of the flower’s female part,
which receives pollen.
 41
Blowing in the wind

FIND OUT HOW FLOWERS PRODUCE AND SPREAD POLLEN IN ORDER TO MAKE SEEDS
On dry summer days,
look out for grasses
shedding clouds of
pollen. Grasses and
other wind-pollinated
plants release
thousands of pollen
grains into the wind.
Their flowers are small,
drab, and unscented
because, being wind-
pollinated, they don’t
need to attract insects.

POLLINATING BIRDS
In some parts of the world—the Americas,
Africa, Asia, and Australia—birds as well
as insects pollinate flowers. Some, such as
honey creepers, climb over flowers as they
search for nectar, accidentally picking up
pollen at the same time. But hummingbirds
feed while hovering in midair. Spotting
bird-pollinated flowers is easy. Most of them
are yellow or red, and they rarely smell.

Hummingbird s
A summer
visitor to eastern
North America,
this ruby-throated
hummingbird
hovers as it
feeds on the
flower’s nectar.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Look for bees on
bright, showy flowers,
especially blue, purple,
or yellow ones.
• Look for butterflies
on buddleia or other
Honey guides tube-shaped, scented
Pollinating insects, such as this flowers.
bumblebee targeting a foxglove, are • Look for birds on red
helped in their search for nectar. They and yellow flowers,
are often directed toward a flower’s such as poinsettia.
Honey nectar stores by dots or lines on its
guides petals called honey guides.
42

Spreading seeds WHAT YOU WILL NEED

FIND OUT WHICH SEEDS HAVE USED YOUR SHOES AS A WAY OF DISPERSING THEMSELVES

• Metal baking sheet

Plants need to disperse, or spread, their • Potting soil
seeds far and wide so they have enough • Blunt knife or
space, water, and light to sprout and grow. screwdriver
• Spray bottle or indoor
Seeds develop inside fruits that help them to watering can
disperse by various routes—wind, animals, • Plastic wrap or
water, and even by explosive force. In the plastic bag
summer, look for tricks used by plants to Ask an adult to
spread seeds. Some seeds spread by sticking supervise putting
to fur or feathers—or to your socks and shoes. the sheet into, and
removing it from,
After a nature-ranging walk, find out whether the oven.
you have given any seeds a lift home.

Put a layer of soil in the

1 baking sheet. Preheat the Use the knife or
oven to 200ºF (100°C). Place 3 screwdriver to scrape the
the sheet in the oven and “bake” soles of your walking shoes onto
the soil for 30 minutes. This the soil. Water the soil, seal it
will kill any seeds that are with the bag or plastic wrap, and
already in the soil. put it on a sunny windowsill.

Grass grows from

the picked-up seeds

Using oven gloves,

2 remove the baking sheet
from the oven. Leave it to cool
in a safe location.

HANDY TIP
Wear athletic shoes or
winter boots so that
seeds get trapped in
the treads.
 43
Snapping, drifting,

FIND OUT WHICH SEEDS HAVE USED YOUR SHOES AS A WAY OF DISPERSING THEMSELVES
TASTY FRUITS and floating
Not all seeds are spread
Some plants produce sweet, juicy fruits that attract by animals. Some are flung
and provide food for many birds and mammals, explosively into the air, blown
including ourselves. Once eaten, the fruit is digested by wind, or dispersed by
but the seeds pass unharmed out of the animal’s body oceans and rivers.
in its droppings. Animals are always on the move and
so the seeds are deposited well away from their parent Snapping pods s
plant—and in a “starter kit” of natural fertilizer. On warm summer days, listen
for sharp snapping sounds
a Berry eater coming from overgrown
A young northern places and shrubs. These
mockingbird eats the sounds are made by
juicy, purple berries pods (fruits) that
of the pokeweed snap open as they
plant. The seeds in dry out, flinging
the bird’s droppings their seeds through
will be deposited the air.
elsewhere, allowing Exploding pod
new pokeweed throws out
plants to thrive. the seeds
Cow vetch

During the next 10 days, Newly sprouted

4 check the sheet regularly and plant grows
toward the light
keep the soil moist. You should soon
see new plants sprouting from the
seeds picked up by your shoes.

Drifting away f
Many plants produce fruits with
wings, fluffy sails, or—like this
dandelion—individual parachutes.
In dry weather, the seedheads open
out, and seeds drift away in the wind.

Floating seeds s
A few plants
depend on water
to help them
spread their
seeds. You might
see them washed
up on a beach.
Their fruits are
designed to float,
sometimes—as
with this sprouting
coconut—over
long distances.
44

Starting life WHAT YOU WILL NEED

PLANT A SEED AND FOLLOW EACH STAGE IN THE PROCESS OF GERMINATION AND GROWTH

• Broad bean seed

Most plants start life as a seed, a living • Drinking glass
package consisting of a baby plant and • Sheet of blotting paper
its food store. Seeds start to grow, or • Cotton batting
• Water
germinate, only when conditions—such as • Notebook and/or
moisture and warmth—are just right. Some digital camera
seeds germinate soon after being released
from their parent plant. Others can remain
Seed takes
dormant, or “sleeping,” for months or years. in water and
During germination, a seed soaks up water, starts to grow

splits open, and the young plant’s root grows

downward, and its shoot grows upward. Most
seeds germinate underground, so you can’t
see what happens. But if you “sow” a seed
in a glass, you can see it come to life.

DESERT IN BLOOM
It’s not just tough plants, such as cacti, that can live in hot,
dry deserts. Some smaller plants can survive, too. Their seeds
stay dormant in the dry desert soil for months or years until it
rains. Then, very briefly, the desert comes into bloom. As rain
soaks into the desert soil, the dormant seeds “wake up” and
germinate. Within days, plants grow and flower, shed their
seeds, then wither and die, not to be seen until it rains again.
Desert
before
rainfall Day 1

Desert Line the inside of the

after 1 glass with the blotting
rainfall paper. Push the cotton batting
into the middle of the glass. Put
the broad bean seed halfway
down the glass between the
blotting paper and the glass.

HANDY TIP
In spring and summer, look
out for growing shoots as
seeds germinate in gardens
and woods.
 45

PLANT A SEED AND FOLLOW EACH STAGE IN THE PROCESS OF GERMINATION AND GROWTH
SPREADING WITHOUT SEEDS
This strawberry plant is one of many
types of plant that spread not only
through seeds but also by sending out
side shoots called runners. Runners
take root away from their parent to
produce small plantlets that grow into
new plants. Look for runners when you
are nature-ranging. Lift up a runner and
several plantlets should be attached.

Runner

New
plantlet
Leaves use sunlight
to make food for
the growing plant

Root takes in water

and anchors the plant

Add some water to the

2 glass, but only to a level
below the seed. (If you cover
the seed with water, it won’t
germinate or grow.) The water
soaks into the cotton batting
and rises up through the
blotting paper. Leave the glass
in a warm, dark place so that
the seed can germinate.

Food store inside the seed

is used up as the shoot
and root grow

Check the glass each

3 day for the next 14 days,
topping off the water daily.
Record what you see in your
notebook and/or with your
camera. As the seed germinates
a root appears, followed by a
shoot. When leaves appear,
leave the glass in the light.
Day 14
Day 8
46

Treewatch
USE SIMPLE METHODS TO WORK OUT THE HEIGHT AND AGE OF A TREE

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Trees form a vital part of the living world. • Measuring tape

• Long stick or cane
They release oxygen into the air and absorb • Pencil and notebook
carbon dioxide, and their branches, leaves, • Calculator
and seeds provide shelter and food for • A friend to help you
many animals. Trees are also the tallest and
longest-lived plants in the world. Here, you
can find out the height and age of a tree.
Tip of pencil
in line with
top of tree

Choose a tree. Stand

1 facing, and some distance
away from, the tree. Ask your
friend to stand at the bottom
of the tree with the stick.

Hold out the pencil at

2 arm’s length and line it
up so that the top of the pencil
is level with the top of the
tree. Still keeping the pencil
in position, move your thumb
down the pencil so it is level
with the bottom of the tree.
Thumb in line
with the bottom
of tree
HOW OLD?
One way of working out the
age of a tree is to count the
growth rings that radiate
from the center of its trunk.
Unfortunately, you have to cut
down the tree first! So here’s
a simpler way of estimating a
tree’s age. Take a tape measure
and measure the circumference
(distance around) of the trunk
Which trees? f in centimeters at a point
This method works for most 5 ft (1.5 m) above the ground.
trees except for fast growers Using a calculator, divide the
(like firs) and slow growers circumference by 2.5 to get
(such as horse chestnuts). the tree’s age in years.
 47

USE SIMPLE METHODS TO WORK OUT THE HEIGHT AND AGE OF A TREE
BROADLEAVED TREES AND CONIFERS
It’s easy to tell whether a tree is
broadleaved or a conifer. Broadleaved
trees, such as oaks, birches, and
cherries, have broad, thin leaves and
flowers that develop seeds. Broadleaved
trees often shed their leaves in fall.
Conifers, such as firs, pines, and
spruces, have narrow, hard leaves
that are needle- or scale-shaped.
Conifers are evergreen and often
smell aromatic. They produce
Oak
their seeds in cones.
Scotch pine

Try to find out

whether the tree is
broadleaf or conifer,
and what species

This distance is the height of the tree

Keeping your thumb in

3 place, turn the pencil so it is
horizontal. Ask your friend to walk
away from the trunk. Tell them to stop
when level with the tip of the pencil,
and to mark the spot with the stick.

Now measure with the tape the

4 distance from the stick to the
base of the tree and record it in your
notebook. This is the height of the tree.
Try to find out the name of the tree.
48

Bark
MAKE BARK RUBBINGS TO COMPARE THE BARK FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREE

Select a tree and

1 brush any loose
Run your fingers over a tree’s trunk and particles from a section of
feel the texture of its bark. Just as skin bark. Tape a sheet of paper
to that area of the trunk.
protects your insides from the outside
world, so bark surrounds and protects a
tree, defending it from attack by fungi and
animals, and stopping it from drying out.
Bark also contains tiny pores that allow
air to reach the tree so it can “breathe.”
Whether bark is rough or smooth depends
on the type of tree and its age. As trees age
and expand, their bark develops more Rub the paper with a
2 wax crayon. This will
cracks and grooves. Here, you can produce a permanent record of
find out how to record bark patterns. the ridges, furrows, and other
patterns in the bark that you
can keep in your nature diary.

RESISTING POLLUTION
Look out for the London plane tree in city parks and
gardens. Its trunk sheds flakes of bark to produce a
distinctive pattern of light and dark patches. Shedding
removes pollutants that would otherwise block the
pores and prevent air from reaching the trunk. It also
explains why, in the past, the London plane—but not
other trees—thrived in cities with high pollution levels.

a City dweller
This London plane
tree is growing in a Carefully remove the paper
square in the middle 3 from the trunk. If possible,
of London, England. identify the tree using the tree
guide, or ask a knowledgeable
adult. Make a note of its name—
and bark color—on the paper.

Dappled trunk
produced by pieces
of bark being shed
London plane
 49

MAKE BARK RUBBINGS TO COMPARE THE BARK FROM DIFFERENT TYPES OF TREE
Each type of
tree has its
own bark
pattern

Repeat these steps with

4 other types of tree to build up
a portfolio of bark rubbings. While
you are doing this, note any small
animals on the bark or, if you find
a fallen tree, under loose, rotting
bark that can be pulled away.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Wax crayons
• Sheets of thick
drawing paper
• Tape
• A field guide to trees
50

Looking at leaves
STRIP AWAY THE SOFT PARTS OF FALLEN LEAVES TO REVEAL THEIR INNER “SKELETON”

WHAT YOU WILL NEED Without leaves, trees and other plants would
not be able to collect the light they need to
• Fallen leaves
• Saucepan
grow. Evergreen trees keep their leaves all
• 1 quart (1 liter) water year round, whereas deciduous trees have
• 11⁄2 oz (40 g) washing more delicate leaves that are shed during
soda crystals
• Rubber gloves
the coldest times of the year. Leaves are
• Blotting paper supported by a network of veins that fan out
from a central midrib, which arises from the
Ask an adult to help
you when you
leaf stalk. Veins carry essential materials to
heat the water and from the leaf’s cells. You can make
and soda. a leaf skeleton by removing the soft
parts of the leaf blade to expose
the network of veins.

Add the water to a saucepan along with

1 the washing soda crystals. Heat the pan
until the water and washing soda start to boil.

FALL COLORS
Remove the pan from
In fall, the leaves of deciduous trees change
2 the heat. Put the leaves
color before they are shed. The chlorophyll into the hot washing soda solution
that colors leaves green breaks down, and and leave there for several hours.
is replaced by other pigments that produce
yellows, oranges, and reds.
Wearing the rubber
3 gloves, put the saucepan
under a faucet and rinse the leaves
thoroughly in cold water. Washing
removes the soft parts of the leaf,
so that a “skeleton” of midrib and
veins is left behind. Dry the leaf
skeletons on the blotting paper
and then stick them into your
nature notebook.
 51
Leaf types

STRIP AWAY THE SOFT PARTS OF FALLEN LEAVES TO REVEAL THEIR INNER “SKELETON”
LEAF PRINTS The leaves of broadleaved trees (dicot
flowering plants) have branching veins
You can make leaf prints in much the same and include simple and compound types.
way you make bark rubbings. To record the Palm trees have broad fronds. Conifer
different shapes and textures of leaves, put a leaf leaves are narrow and leathery.
on a smooth surface and cover it with a piece of
white paper. Holding the paper in place, rub over Simple leaf s
the leaf with a soft colored pencil or wax crayon. A simple leaf, such as
this maple, consists of a
a Colorful copies single leaf blade that is
Leaf prints record not not divided. Both simple
just a leaf’s shape but and compound leaves
also its pattern of are classified by shape.
veins. Try to label Maple
each rubbing with
the tree that the a Compound leaf
leaf came from. This leaf may look like
many leaves but it is
actually a single leaf,
called a compound leaf.
It is divided into many
Veins are visible on small leaflets attached
the leaf after washing to a central stalk.
with soda water
Mountain ash

Palm leaf s
Palms are trees that
belong to a group of
flowering plants called
monocots. Their leaves
are frondlike and have
parallel veins.
Brazilian wax palm

a Conifer leaf
Mostly evergreen,
conifers have hard
needle- or scalelike
leaves that can tolerate
dry or cold conditions.
Conifers produce seeds
Santa Lucia fir in cones, not in flowers.

IMPORTANT
Washing soda can
harm the skin—always
wear rubber gloves when
handling the soaked leaves.
52

Cones
COLLECT SOME CONES AND FIND OUT WHERE THE SEEDS ARE HIDDEN

Deodar
Wherever pines, firs, or other cedar Big-cone
conifers grow, it’s fun to collect cone pine cone

the cones that fall from these

trees onto the woodland floor.
Some cones are tiny, but others
are huge, weighing up to 11 lb White
spruce
(5 kg). Just as broadleaved trees cone

use flowers to make their seeds, Single-leaf

conifers use cones to make seeds. pinyon cone
Visit a coniferous
Collect some ripe female cones 1 woods (one with trees
and watch how their scales open such as pines, firs, and spruces).
Collect some cones in your bag
with the changing weather. and take them home with you.

Scales are closed

on this damp cone

Scales open up in
warm, dry weather

If possible, identify
2 the cones and put
SEED EATERS
them in a warm, dry
Conifer seeds are an important place. If the scales of the
food source for forest birds and cones are closed, watch
small mammals. For example, them over several days
crossbills and nutcrackers to see if the scales open.
have specialized beaks to This normally happens in
probe for and extract seeds warm, dry weather—ideal
from cones, while red squirrels conditions for the cone to
get at seeds by stripping release its seeds.
off cone scales.
a Crossbill
This red crossbill’s beak has a
crossed tip to help it lift the scales
of a cone and loosen the seeds.
 53

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

COLLECT SOME CONES AND FIND OUT WHERE THE SEEDS ARE HIDDEN
MALE AND FEMALE CONES
• Bag for collecting cones Conifers reproduce using male and female cones, which
• Tweezers usually grow separately on the same tree. Male cones tend
to be soft and smaller than female cones. If you tap them,
Only go into the woods they release clouds of pollen. This pollen is carried by the
when accompanied wind to pollinate the female cones, which then produce
by an adult. seeds. Once this has happened, the female cone’s scales
close and become increasingly woody
as the seeds develop, a process
that can take up to three years.
When the cone is mature, and
the weather is neither too
Woody scales
protect seeds
damp nor too cold, the scales
inside the cone open and seeds are released.
Male cone

Mature
female cone
Scotch pine cones s
The difference between these male
and female cones is clear. Once
male cones have shed their pollen,
they drop off. Years after pollination,
the woody female cone releases its
seeds, which spin away. Seed

If the scales are open,

3 look inside to see if there
is a seed. Most conifers have seeds
with papery “wings.” Use the tweezers
to remove a seed without tearing the
wing. Hold the seed up in the air. Let
it go and watch it spiral to the floor.
If caught by the wind, this takes the
seed well away from its parent plant.
54

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

Woodlands
MAKE A TERRARIUM AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE ANIMALS THAT INHABIT THE FOREST FLOOR

• Aquarium tank
(made of glass or Deciduous woods have broadleaved trees, such
plastic) with a lid as oaks, birches, and maples, that lose their
• Trowel leaves in fall. They provide food and a home for
• Shallow bowl
• Spray bottle filled animals such as squirrels and deer, and for
with water many smaller creatures that live in the rotting
• 3 plastic bags leaves—the leaf litter—that cover the woodland
• Forest soil
• Leaf litter floor. Find out more about leaf litter dwellers
• Pine cones (if present) by making a woodland terrarium.
• Small dead branches
• Magnifying glass

Ask an adult to
accompany you
when you visit Lid prevents
a woodland. animals from
escaping

Visit a woods— Use the trowel to

1 preferably one where 2 dig up several samples
there is a mix of different types of soil from different locations.
of deciduous trees. Use the Put this into the second bag.
trowel to collect both dry and Collect some dead branches,
moist leaf litter from different scraps of bark, and any pine
locations. Put the litter into cones, and put these into
one of the plastic bags. the third bag.

Bowl half-filled Collect enough

with water forest soil to
cover the bottom
of the tank

Put the leaf litter, fir

IMPORTANT Back at home you 4 cones, and bark scraps
3 can now assemble your in the tank (don’t fill it more
When you have finished with
your terrarium, return the terrarium. Cover the floor of the than halfway). Angle one or two
leaf litter and its animals aquarium tank with forest soil. branches across the leaf litter.
back to their woods. Put the bowl in one corner, fix Spray a little water over the
it in place with more soil, then leaf litter and soil to keep it
half fill it with water. damp. Put the lid on the tank.
 55
Leaf litter animals

MAKE A TERRARIUM AND FIND OUT ABOUT THE ANIMALS THAT INHABIT THE FOREST FLOOR
TREE SURVEY Here is a checklist of some of the
animals you’re likely to find. Some feed
How varied are the woods you visit? The number on decaying plant remains. Others are
and variety of trees in a forest depends on its age, predators that find their prey as they
whether its soil is clay, sandy, or acidic, and whether wriggle through leaf litter.
it is managed or not. Using a woodland field guide—
or by asking a knowledgeable adult—list the types Centipede s
of trees, such as oak, ash, and maple, when you Armed with two poison
go into a woods. fangs, centipedes hunt and
feed on insects and other
a Dense woods small leaf litter animals.
This deciduous
forest in the eastern Millipede s
US has a variety of Millipedes have a
different tree types. cylindrical body and
A wide range of lots of legs. They feed
animals, such as by chewing up dead
birds, bats, squirrels, leaves and rotting wood.
and insects, live
among the branches.
Woodlouse s
Damp, dark conditions are a
woodlouse’s favorite, so you
won’t find them in dry places.
Woodlice eat decaying leaves
and bits of dead wood.
HANDY TIP
Visit the woods during late Beetle s
spring, summer, or early Beetles are very common
fall when animals are in leaf litter. Some, such as
most active. this ground beetle, hunt
for insects, while others
eat decaying leaves.

Wolf spider s
A daytime hunter, the
wolf spider uses its
excellent vision and
speed to spot and grab
any insects that happen
to cross its path.

Earwig s
With a flat body that’s
ideal for wriggling through
leaf litter, the earwig eats
plant material and insects,
caught with its pincers.

Springtail s
Keep your terrarium somewhere This tiny insect eats
5 cool and out of direct sunlight. Use your
dead plants. Its tail,
magnifying glass to identify leaf litter animals. normally tucked under
Give any snails a little juicy food, such as lettuce. its body, flicks down
Top off the water in the dish, and spray the leaf to push the animal up
litter and soil with water every other day. and away from danger.
56

Fungus foray
MAKE SPORE PRINTS TO SEE THE VARIETY OF PATTERNS AND COLORS

Fungi, such as mushrooms and toadstools,

resemble plants, but live very differently.
They are not green, they don’t need light, they
feed on dead or living organisms, and they
reproduce by scattering millions of microscopic
spores. A simple way of recording the fungi
you find is to make a spore print.

Billions of spores
A type of fungus known as a puffball
(right) can produce billions of spores. The
slightest knock causes spores to puff out
through a hole in the top of the puffball’s
cap. If you find a ripe puffball, tap it and
watch its spores escape.

Ask an adult to cut the

1 stalk from the mushroom
cap. Look at the underside
of the cap to see the spore-
releasing gills. Put the cap
on a piece of colored card and
cover it with a bowl to keep
out drafts. Leave overnight.
The next day, remove
2 the bowl and carefully
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
lift the cap. You will see that
• Mushroom or the spores have made a print
that matches the gill pattern
toadstool
of the mushroom.
• Colored card (for
example, blue, black,
or light brown)
• Glass or plastic bowl
• Artist’s fixative spray
or hairspray
• Knife IMPORTANT
Adult supervision Only handle wild fungi if
Carefully spray the a knowledgeable adult
required. Spray 3 spore print with fixative
confirms that it is safe
fixative in a well- to stop it from being smudged. to do so. Always wash your
ventilated room. If possible, find out what kind hands after handling fungi.
of mushroom or toadstool the
spores came from.
 57

MAKE SPORE PRINTS TO SEE THE VARIETY OF PATTERNS AND COLORS

SAFE OR DANGEROUS?
Some fungi, such as field
mushrooms, are good to eat.
Others, however, contain poisons.
Some of these poisonous species
are easily identified, but others
can be confused with edible fungi.
That is why you should never eat
wild fungi unless their identity
is confirmed by an expert.

Fly agaric s
This toadstool lives near trees,
especially birch and spruce. Its
bright color provides a warning
that the fly agaric is poisonous.

Puffballs may NATURE’S RECYCLERS

release more
than 5,000 Many types of fungi, such as bracket
billion spores fungi, are decomposers. They perform
a vital role in nature by disposing of dead
plants and animals. A network of slender
fungal feeding threads, called hyphae,
invade and digest the dead organism,
causing it to decay and eventually
disappear. This process releases
chemicals that are recycled for use by
living organisms, such as growing plants.

Bracket fungus f
Use a dark card On woodland walks, look out for the shelflike
for white spores bracket fungi on the trunks of dead trees.
Repeat using different
4 specimens and card colors. Their hyphae penetrate deep inside the tree,
causing it to rot and crumble.
Compare the different spore
colors and gill patterns.
58

Dry places WHAT YOU WILL NEED

CREATE YOUR OWN DESERT AND SEE HOW PLANTS THRIVE WITH LITTLE WATER

• Planting tray
Deserts and other dry places often seem • Trowel
empty and lifeless. But look closely and you’ll • Spoon
find that lots of animals and plants use them • Small watering can
• Gravel
as their home. Desert animals are mainly • Potting soil
active at night when it is cool. Many desert • Sand
plants survive fierce sunshine and months • A variety of potted
cacti and succulent
without rain by storing water in their fleshy plants, ideally 5–7
stems. You can create a mini desert by specimens
planting cacti and other succulents in sandy
soil and growing them in a warm place.
Soil around the
roots is loosened
before planting

A layer of sand
covers the compost

Gravel covers bottom

of the planting tray

Cover the bottom of Dig a small hole for

1 the planting tray with 2 each plant. Remove the
a shallow layer of gravel. Use plant from its pot, place it in
the trowel to add soil until the its hole, and gently press it Use the spoon to cover
tray is about half full. Place down. Fill any gaps around the 3 the soil with sand. Press
the plant pots around the tray plants with soil. Make sure the sand down firmly with the
to find the best arrangement. the roots are covered. back of the spoon.

AFTER DARK
Do you like to shelter from the sunshine
on really hot days? Well, so do most desert
animals. They either seek out shade or rest in
burrows during the day to escape the intense
heat. But at night, when temperatures fall, they
become active and emerge to search for food.
Desert jerboa s
Emerging from its burrow at night, this rodent
uses its big back feet to hop in search of seeds. Its
large eyes are typical of many nocturnal animals.
 59

CREATE YOUR OWN DESERT AND SEE HOW PLANTS THRIVE WITH LITTLE WATER
SNAKE TRACKS
Moving across shifting, painfully hot desert
sand is difficult, but not for sidewinding
snakes. They launch their bodies sideways
in a series of leaps so that only a small
part of their body is in contact with the hot
sand for a short amount of time. They leave
behind a telltale trail of parallel tracks.
Look out for them if you visit a desert.

Give your mini desert a light watering

4 and place it in a warm, sunny position Sidewinding snake f
A desert adder from the Namib desert
indoors. Lightly water once every week or
in southern Africa moves across the sand,
two weeks, but never let the soil get too
leaving behind its typical sidewinding tracks.
wet. Watch your mini desert plants thrive
in their dry, warm surroundings.
60

Freshwater ponds WHAT YOU WILL NEED

USE A DIP NET TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE VAST VARIETY OF ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN PONDS

• Dip net with a

Pond wildlife ranges from tiny shrimp, fine mesh net
looping leeches, and grazing snails of all • Two plastic containers,
sizes, to fish, tadpoles, and an array of insects, such as empty
ice-cream tubs
not to mention algae, pondweed, and other • Small, clear
pond plants. Most of you probably know of plastic dish
a pond that you can visit, so here is an ideal • Clean pipette (dropper)
• Fine paintbrush
nature-ranging opportunity to explore • Plastic spoon
a fascinating habitat. • Magnifying glass
• Notebook and pencil
• Field guide to
pond life

Always go with an adult

to a pond, stream, or
river and be careful
near the water.

Find a clean, unpolluted pond.

1 Choose a location where you
can approach the water’s edge safely.
Half-fill both containers with clean
water from the pond. Now slowly
sweep your dip net through the pond.

Turn the net inside-out

2 over one of the containers
IMPORTANT to release any animals or plants
Always return the animals you have caught. If you haven’t
you have caught to the had much luck, try dipping
same part of the pond. through an area of weeds, since
more animals tend to gather here.
 61
Pond life

USE A DIP NET TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE VAST VARIETY OF ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN PONDS
DRAGONFLIES All of these animals are commonly found
in ponds, as are dragonflies, beetle larvae,
You can’t fail to spot these fantastic insects and pond skaters.
with their long bodies, large wings, and big eyes.
Dragonflies are daytime hunters that prey on other
flying insects. Their eggs, laid in ponds, hatch into a Greater waterboatman
predatory larvae called nymphs that lurk, well- Also called the backswimmer,
camouflaged, in mud and vegetation, grabbing because it swims upside-down,
passing pond animals with their piercing jaws. this predatory insect moves
using its long, oarlike
Emerging adult s hind legs.
Dragonfly nymphs live
underwater for up to
five years, shedding
their skin as they grow.
Eventually, the nymph Pond snail s
climbs out of water and Like other snails, pond snails
sheds its skin for the have a rasping radula (tongue)
last time. Look out that they use to feed on algae,
for emerging adult decaying plant remains, and
dragonflies early on pond plants (where they
summer mornings. also lay eggs).

Pond skater
Acilius skims across a Freshwater shrimp
beetle pond surface Shrimp have long antennae
Dragonfly and transparent, flattened
larva
nymph bodies. They live among stones
and pondweed, and feed on
decaying pond matter.

Hawker
Beetle larva nymph Freshwater leech s
eats small fish Leeches move through a pond using
their front and rear suckers. Some
feed on other soft-bodied animals,
while others eat decaying plants.
Dragonfly
nymph is a
predator

Carefully transfer specimens,

3 using the spoon or paintbrush, to the
clean water of the second container. Make a
note of what you have caught. Using the pipette,
transfer any tiny organisms to the small plastic
dish. Try to identify them with your magnifying glass.

Mosquito larvae f
Compare different parts of the pond, including Moving jerkily, mosquito larvae are
4 open water, places with pond plants, and the
a common sight just below the pond
bottom of the pond. You should find that the numbers surface. They form rounded pupae
and types of animals you find vary from area to area. from which adult mosquitoes emerge.
62

Make a small pond

CREATE A NEW HABITAT IN YOUR YARD BY DIGGING A POND

Adding a pond to a garden is a really

worthwhile nature-ranger project. It instantly
increases your area’s biodiversity by adding
and attracting lots of new wildlife. Some
animals will arrive as “passengers” on
pond plants, others will fly, walk, or hop 1
Mark out the pond’s
boundary—a bit bigger
to your newly created attraction. than the top of the container—
with string. Use the shovel
to dig a hole the same depth
as the container.
Dragonflies may
visit your pond and
lay their eggs on
plants or in water
HANDY TIP
If you can’t get any stone
slabs for the pond edges,
try using some logs
or old bricks.

Pond snails stick

their eggs to these
water lily leaves
 63

CREATE A NEW HABITAT IN YOUR YARD BY DIGGING A POND

AMPHIBIAN VISITORS
Your pond may get a visit from amphibians,
such as frogs, toads, or newts. Amphibians Spawn
spend most of the year on land but return to
ponds in the spring to mate and lay their eggs.
Tadpole
When tadpoles hatch out, observe the way
they develop into fully grown adults. Frog

Frog life cycle s

After hatching, tadpoles feed and grow in the pond,
and undergo an incredible change in shape— Tadpole
called metamorphosis—to become an adult frog. with legs Froglet

Place the plastic Cover the edge of the Fill the pond with water.
2 container into the hole 3 pond and the container’s 4 Take the water plants
so the top is level with the rim with the flat stones or and cover their soil with gravel
ground. Fill any gaps with soil. slabs. Place the bricks or large to stop it floating away. Position
stones in the container to make the pots in the pond and add
different levels in the pond. free-floating pondweed. Over
the next few months, especially
in summer, pond insects will
take up residence or lay eggs.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• Suitable spot
in the yard
• Shovel
• String
• Large plastic container
• Flat stones or slabs
to edge the pond
• Bricks or large stones
• Water plants, such
IMPORTANT as water lilies, in pots
Get permission from
• Pondweed, such as
an adult before digging hornwort or elodea
holes in the yard! • Gravel
64

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

The seashore
EXPLORE THE SEASHORE AND MAKE A SHELL SHOWCASE

• Sheets of thin
cardboard Found where sea and land meet, the
• Pencil or pen seashore is a great place for nature-ranging
• Ruler because it is home to an incredible variety
• Scissors
• Tape of living things. Every seashore—be it sandy,
• Sticky labels muddy, gravelly, or rocky—is a place of
• Plastic or paper bag constant change where living things have
• Field guide to
the seashore to cope with the tide going in and out twice
a day. One way of investigating the wildlife on
Only go into the seashores is to make a shell showcase. This
sea if an adult is
supervising you. enables you to identify seashore residents
by the shells they used to live in.

Visit a beach. Look for

1 empty shells on rocks
and sand, and in pools. Pick
the best of each type, and
take them home in a bag.

Wash the shells in Now make a simple Draw a margin 1 in

2 cold water to remove 3 showcase to display 4 (2.5 cm) wide around
traces of sand, seaweed, and identify the shells you the rectangle. Snip the
or small animals. Put them have collected. First of all, corners with scissors, then
on some paper towels, take a sheet of cardboard fold up the margin to make
with open surfaces down and mark out a rectangle four sides. Secure these with
so that water can drain approximately 16 in x 12 in tape to keep them upright
out. Leave them to dry. (40 cm x 30 cm). and form a shallow box.

SAND DUNES
Visit many sandy beaches and you will see
sand dunes lying parallel to the shoreline
along the landward side of the beach. Dunes
form over many years when sand, carried
from the beach by the wind, settles to
form ripples, then larger ridges, and finally
dunes. Sand dunes are really important
because they protect land behind the beach
Dune plants f from wind and waves. They also provide
The roots of this marram grass stabilize dunes a habitat for mammals, birds, lizards, and
by binding sand grains together. Spiky stems insects, as well as tough plants that can
trap blown sand, so the dunes grow higher. tolerate the harsh, dry, salty conditions.
 65

EXPLORE THE SEASHORE AND MAKE A SHELL SHOWCASE

UNDER THE SURFACE
At low tide, most seashores appear
lifeless. But just under the surface
there are millions of animals, including
marine worms, mollusks, and
crustaceans. These creatures become
active when the beach is under water.
Look out for wading birds patrolling
beaches at low tide. They’ll be probing
with their beaks for juicy prey.
a American avocet
This wader sweeps its upcurved beak from
side to side through watery mud or shallow
water to locate worms and crustaceans.

From another cardboard

5 sheet, cut out eight strips
1 in (2.5 cm) wide—four the same
length as the box, and four the
same width. Use the strips to
divide the box into 25 sections.
Tape them in place.
Arrange your shell
6 collection in the showcase.
If you can, use the seashore guide
to identify each shell. Add a label
to its compartment showing its
name, and when and where
you found it.

IMPORTANT
Only collect shells that are
empty. Don’t be tempted
to collect shells that still
contain living animals—
they will die very quickly,
rot, and smell.
66

Rockpools
MAKE AN UNDERWATER VIEWER TO STUDY THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN ROCKPOOLS

If you visit a rocky shore, Circle drawn on the

plexiglass sheet
spend some time looking in
rockpools. They are great places
for watching wildlife because you
can see a range of creatures in
one place, such as sea anemones,
shrimp, starfish, sponges, crabs,
and fish—and the occupants are
Put one end of the plastic pipe
unable to swim away. But one of the 1 on the plexiglass. Draw around
problems of looking in rockpools is it using the felt-tip pen to get the
right size for the viewer’s “window.”
that sunlight is reflected from the
pool’s surface, making it difficult to
see into the water. To get around
this, you can make a rockpool viewer.
This will give you a clear view of
the teeming life in a rockpool.

Ask an adult to use the hacksaw

ROCKY SHORE 2 to cut carefully around the circle
you have just drawn.
Most rocky shores provide shelter for a wide
variety of seaweeds and marine animals. But life
on the rocks can be tough. Twice each day, when A layer of
the tide comes in, the rocky shore and its wildlife waterproof sealant
is battered by the waves. Then, when the tide
goes out, the animals and seaweeds—whether
or not in rockpools—are exposed to the harsh
effects of the sun and wind.

Put some sealant around

3 one end of the plastic pipe.
Carefully place the plexiglass disk
on top to make a window. Let the
Waves batter a rocky shore in California sealant set, then check the window
is water-proof in a water-filled sink.
 67

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

MAKE AN UNDERWATER VIEWER TO STUDY THE ANIMALS THAT LIVE IN ROCKPOOLS

SEA ANEMONES
• Drainpipe or other They may look like plants, but sea anemones are actually
large-diameter plastic flesh-eating animals. Any small creature that ventures near
pipe 12–16 in the anemone’s tentacles is stung by a battery of stinging
(30–40 cm) long cells, paralyzed, and pulled into its mouth. Try feeding
• Plexiglass sheet an anemone by gently
• Felt-tip pen brushing a small piece of
meat across its tentacles.
• Hacksaw Wear rubber gloves
• Waterproof sealant in case it’s a species
• Seashore field guide that can sting you!

Ask an adult to cut Feeding an anemone s

the plexiglass. The anemone detects
chemicals released by
the meat, then extends its
tentacles to grab its “prey.”
Kneel down next to a
4 rockpool and push the
window end of the viewer into
the water. Look through the
window and try to identify
the animals you spot.

IMPORTANT
Visit a rocky shore only
when accompanied by
an adult. Check the time
of high tide so that you
are not cut off when the
tide comes in.
68

Helping wildlife
DISCOVER WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP WILDLIFE AND ENCOURAGE ANIMAL VISITORS

It’s fun to explore nature and discover its

fascinating secrets, but don’t take the natural
world for granted. As the human population
increases and takes up more space, and we
consume ever more resources, many types of
animals and plants are finding survival more
and more difficult. Scientists and nature-lovers
do their best to help them survive, and there are
ways in which you can help, too. A good start
is to encourage animals to visit your yard, or
you can join an organization that conserves
(saves) wildlife.

Feeding the birds

Winter can be a tough time for
many small birds, so putting up
a feeder can help them survive
the cold. Seeds give birds, such
as these house sparrows, a
real energy boost.

CONSERVATION
Many animals and plants worldwide
are now threatened with extinction.
Fortunately, some of these
threatened species are being saved
by conservation. Take the California
condor, North America’s biggest
bird and one of the world’s most
endangered species. Numbers of
the birds fell to just 25 in the 1980s.
But scientists started breeding the
birds in captivity. Now there are
Released into the wild f more than 150 birds released into
Soaring high in the sky, this California condor was released the wild. Try to find out more about
in the Grand Canyon, Arizona, by conservationists who have conservation organizations and
rescued these American vultures from extinction. how you can help them.
 69

DISCOVER WAYS IN WHICH YOU CAN HELP WILDLIFE AND ENCOURAGE ANIMAL VISITORS
LESS LITTER
Two easy ways to help
wildlife are, first, not to
leave litter, and, second,
to encourage your family
to recycle packaging,
such as cardboard, as
much as possible. Litter
and garbage, especially
plastic, kill many animals
every day.
a Shrouded in plastic
This plastic sheet could
harm or kill the deer by
preventing it from feeding.

Bug boxes
Put a bug box, such as
the one shown here, in
your garden. In summer,
it provides a place for
solitary bees to lay their
eggs. In winter, it will
provide shelter for helpful,
pest-eating ladybugs
and lacewings.

Insect-attracting plants
Summer wouldn’t be the
same without buzzing bees
WHAT YOU WILL NEED and fluttering butterflies.
But both types of insects
• Check the Internet or will only visit if there
phone directory for are nectar-providing
local nature clubs. flowers to feed on, so
• Visit a natural history plant insect-attracting
museum if there is one plants, such as buddleia
near you. and snapdragons.
• Take a trip to a zoo
or botanical garden
to see a wide range
of living things.
• Tell your friends about
being a nature ranger
so they can join in. Peacock butterfly
feeds on the
buddleia flowers
70

Glossary
GLOSSARY

Backbone A flexible chain Deciduous Describes trees, Herbivores Animals, such

of bones called vertebrae such as oak and maple, as deer, that feed exclusively
that provides the central that shed their leaves at a on plants.
axis of the skeleton of certain time of year, often
vertebrate animals. in the fall. Hyphae (singular hypha) The
tiny filaments or threads
Biodiversity The variety of Decomposers Living things, that make up a fungus, and
species of living things in such as bacteria or fungi, that through which it feeds.
a particular area. feed on, and break down, dead
plants and animals. Invertebrate A general term
Biology The study of living for any animal, such as a
things. Scientists who study Defecate To pass waste in the butterfly, sea anemone,
biology are called biologists. form of feces out of the body. garden snail, or earthworm,
without a backbone.
Cacti (singular cactus) A Dicots Short for dicotyledons,
group of plants that are a group of flowering plants Landward Lying toward the
adapted to dry conditions that has net-veined leaves land, away from water.
by having succulent water- and flower parts arranged
storing stems. in fours or fives. Leaf litter Decaying leaves
and other plant material lying
Camouflage A disguise in Dormant Describes a on top of soil.
the form of coloration or living thing that is alive
body shape that enables but totally inactive. Mammal A warm-blooded
an animal to blend in with animal, such as a mouse, with
its surroundings. Evaporation The change fur, that feeds its young on milk.
of a liquid, such as water,
Carnivores Animals, such as into a gas at a temperature Microorganism A tiny living
wolves, whose diet consists below its boiling point. thing, such as a bacterium,
mainly or entirely of meat. too small to be seen without
Evergreen Describes trees, a microscope.
Chlorophyll Green pigment such as pine and holly, that
that colors plants and shed and replace their leaves Migration The regular
traps the Sun’s energy constantly, so are always movement, at a certain time
during photosynthesis. in leaf. of year, by animals from one
location to another in order
Circumference The distance Extinction The permanent to find food or to breed.
around a circular object. disappearance of a species
of living thing. Monocots Short for
Cold-blooded Describes monocotyledons, a group of
an animal, such as a lizard, Fruit A structure produced by flowering plants with parallel-
whose body temperature flowering plants that contains veined leaves and flower parts
varies with that of its and protects seeds. arranged in threes or
surroundings. multiples of three.
Germination The start of growth
Conifers Plants, mostly tall of a seed into a seedling. Mustelids A group of mammals
forest trees, that produce that includes weasels,
their seeds in cones. Ginkgo A type of tree polecats, otters, and badgers.
that is the sole surviving
Conservation The protection member of an ancient Naturalist A person
of endangered wildlife and group of seed-producing, who is interested in, and
habitats. nonflowering plants. studies, nature.
 71

GLOSSARY
Nectar A sweet liquid Root The part of a plant that Terrarium An enclosure,
produced by flowers to attract anchors it in soil, and takes such as an empty fish tank,
pollinating animals. in water and nutrients. for keeping land animals
and/or plants.
Nocturnal Describes an Runner A stem that grows
animal that is active at night. along the ground from Territory An area, defended
a “parent” plant and forms by an animal, which provides
Nutrient A substance new independent plants. food, shelter, and a safe place
taken in by a living thing to bring up offspring.
for use in growth, repair, Seed A structure containing
or supplying energy. an embryo (baby) plant and its Transpiration The loss of
food store, produced by plants water vapor by evaporation
Omnivores Animals, such as when they reproduce. from a plant’s leaves.
bears, whose diet consists of
a mixture of meat and plants. Shoot The part of a plant, Tree A large, woody plant with
consisting of stem and leaves, a single main stem (trunk).
Organism A living thing. that grows above ground
toward the light. Tropical rainforest A forest
Oxygen A gas found in air that that grows near the equator
is taken in by living things to Skeleton A framework made and is wet and warm
release energy from food. of bone or other material that year-round.
supports an animal’s body and
Photosynthesis The process enables it to move. Vertebrate The general term
by which plants make food for an animal, such as a fish,
from simple substances using Species A group of living frog, snake, sparrow, or lion,
energy from sunlight. things, such as Scotch pines that has a backbone.
or Virginia opossums, whose
Pollination The transfer members breed only with Warm-blooded Describes
of pollen from the male their own kind. an animal, such as a mammal,
part of a flower to the whose body temperature is
female part of the same Spore A tiny package of controlled regardless of
or a different flower. cells released by fungi, external conditions.
mosses, and ferns when
Pollutant A harmful they reproduce. Water vapor A form of
substance or material water found in the air, which
that, when released into Succulents Plants, such condenses to form water
the living world, disrupts as cacti and spurges, droplets in clouds and rain.
its natural balance. that survive in dry places
by storing water in stems
Predator An animal that or leaves.
catches, kills, and eats
other animals. Tapetum The tapetum
lucidum is a reflecting layer
Reproduction The production in the eyes of certain
of offspring by living things. nocturnal animals that
enhances night vision.
Rodents A large group
of small to medium-sized Tendril A threadlike structure
mammals with gnawing that coils around anything it
teeth that includes rats, touches, used by certain
squirrels, and beavers. plants for support.
72

Index
INDEX

amphibians 9, 63 fish 9, 21 pollination 40–41

flowers 33, 38–39, 40–41 ponds 60–61, 62–63
badgers 14, 23, 28
food 20–21
bark, trees 48–49 rabbits 15, 17, 18,
footprints 16–17
bats 29, 30–31 22
foxes 19, 23
beaches 64–65 raccoons 28
fruits 43
beetles 18, 21, 55 reptiles 9
fungi 56–57
biologists 5 rockpools 66–67
birds 8, 9, 41 grapefruit trap 10–11 rodents 17, 20
bones 18
hares 17 scorpions 11
feeding 68–69
hedgehogs 18 sea anemones 67
nests 27
homes 26–27 seashores 64–65,
pellets 23
66–67
wings 20 insects 11, 21, 34, 69
seeds 42–43, 44–45,
blinds 12–13 invertebrates 9, 10–11, 55
52–53
bones 18–19
leaves 50–51 shells 64–65
butterflies 25, 69
lichens 4 skeletons 19
cacti 58–59 liverworts 33 slugs 10, 15
camouflage 24–25 lizards 9 smell, sense of 13
caterpillars 21 snails 15
mammals 9, 15
cats 16, 23, 29 snakes 15, 59
bones 18–19
centipedes 11, 55 spiders 11, 21, 26, 55
eyes 28–29
chipmunks 20 spores, fungi 56–57
footprints 16–17
cones 52–53 springtails 55
millipedes 55
conifers 33, 51, 52–53 squirrels 19, 20, 21,
mimics 24
conservation 68 26, 27
mollusks 11
creepy-crawlies 10–11
mosses 33 teeth 18–19
crustaceans 11
moths 28 tracks 16–17
deer 15, 17, 19, 22, 25, 29 mushrooms 56–57 trails 14–15
deserts 58–59 mustelid family 17 trees 46–55
diaries 8 bark 48–49
nighttime animals 28–29
dog family 16 leaves 50–51
dragonflies 61 otters 21, 23 woodlands 54–55
droppings 22–23
photosynthesis 32–33, 34 water
dry places 58–59
plants 4 plants and 36–37
Earth 4 flowers 38–39, 40–41 pond wildlife 60–61,
earwigs 55 photosynthesis 32–33, 34 62, 63
equipment 6–7 pollination 40–41 wolves 29
eyes 28–29 seeds 42–43, 44–45, 52–53 woodlands 54–55
sensing gravity 34–35 woodlice 55
ferns 33
trees 46–55 worms 10, 11
field kit 6 and water 36–37

The author and DK would like to thank Withers; 14bl Mike Jordan NEZS (Chester Zoo); 15tl Minden Pictures/Frans Lanting; 40t Alamy/Rosey
David Burnie for work on the initial stages naturepl.com/George McCarthy, tr NHPA/Mike Lane, ct Pajak, br Oxford Scientific/IFA-Bilderteam GMBH;
FLPA/Derek Middleton, cb FLPA/Maurice Nimmo, br 41l Alamy/Alan Mather, tr Alamy/Renee Morris, br
of this book.
Corbis/FLPA/Michael Callan; 17tl FLPA/Silvestris naturepl.com/Rolf Nussbaumer; 43tl FLPA/S&D&K
Model Jack Williams Fotoservice, tr Oxford Scientific/Richard Packwood; 18tl Maslowski, cr Science Photo Library/Lynwood Chase,
Index Hilary Bird Corbis/Marko Modic, tr Warren Photographic; 19c br Science Photo Library/David Nanuk; 44cl Corbis/
The publisher would like to thank the Warren Photographic; 21c FLPA/S. Charlie Brown, br David Muench, bl Corbis/George H. H. Huey; 45tl NHPA/
following for their kind permission to Oxford Scientific/Roland Mayr; 22t FLPA/Mitsuhiko George Bernard; 48bl Ardea, London/John Mason, br
Imamori, bl courtesy of the Natural History Museum, Alamy/The Garden Picture Library/John Glover; 50bl
reproduce their photographs:
London; 23tl Alamy/Andrew Darrington, tr courtesy of Howard Rice (c) Dorling Kindersley; 51tr Stephen Oliver
a=above; b=below; c=center; l=left; the Natural History Museum, London, c FLPA/Tim (c) Dorling Kindersley; 55tl naturepl.com/AFLO, br
r=right; t=top. Fitzharris, bc FLPA/Robert Canis, br naturepl.com/ NHPA/N.A. Callow; 58b FLPA/Arthur Christiansen;
Front flap, sponges: Science Photo Library/Alexis Adrian Davies; 24lc NHPA/Daniel Heuclin; 25t FLPA/ 59br Ardea, London/M. Watson; 60l Powerstock/age
Rosenfeld, kingfishers: naturepl.com/Philippe Clement, Leonard Lee Rue; 26–27 Corbis/Rose Hartman; 26bl fotostock; 61tl Ardea, London/Geoff Trinder; 64bl NHPA/
woodpeckers: © Jane Burton/Dorling Kindersley, Corbis/Martin Harvey; 27tl FLPA/Minden Pictures/Tui De Laurie Campbell; 65tl Ardea, London/B. Moose
herons: © Kim Taylor/Dorling Kindersley, marsupials: Roy, tr naturepl.com/Mike Wilkes, c Still Pictures/Paul Peterson; 66l Alamy/Danita Delimont; 67b Oxford
naturepl.com/Tom Vezo. Back flap, moulds: Science Springett; 28–29 Corbis/William Gottlieb; 28c Robert Scientific/Claude Steelman; 68t FLPA/Foto Natura/
Photo Library/Vaughan Fleming; 4t naturepl.com/Juan Goodden/www.wwb.co.uk, bl Corbis/Mark L. Flip de Nooyer, b NHPA/Daniel Heuclin; 69tr Oxford
Manuel Borrero, c Warren Photographic, b NASA; 5t Stephenson, br Alamy/Photofusion Picture Library/Stan Scientific/Lon E. Lauber, cr www.wildlifeworld.co.uk,
FLPA/Minden Pictures/Frans Lanting, b Corbis/Galen Gamester; 29bl naturepl.com/John Downer, bc Getty br NHPA/Stephen Dalton, 78tc Dorling Kindersley: The
Rowell; 6clb Dreamstime.com: Scorpion26, cb Fotolia: Images/Stone/John Lund, br Getty Images/National Natural History Museum, London, crb Fotolia: Stefan
Rembrant; 7b naturepl.com/David Kjaer; 8–9 Ardea, Geographic/Jim & Jamie Dutcher; 33bc Stephen Oliver Zeitz / Lux, cl Zee; 79bl Fotolia: Yong Hian Lim.
London Ltd/M. Watson; 9tl naturepl.com/Jose P. Ruiz; (c) Dorling Kindersley; 35l Stephen Oliver (c) Dorling All other images © Dorling Kindersley
11tl Oxford Scientific Films/David M. Dennis, cr Kindersley; 36b Alamy/Genevieve Vallee; 37r FLPA/ www.dkimages.com
Dreamstime.com: Eric Isselee; 14–15 FLPA/Martin B.