Have you seen the new video of a hummingbird drinking sugar water? All I can say is, “Wow!”
Using a special artificial flower and a high speed camera, researchers have been able to record some incredible shots.
Look at that tongue, it is acting like a mop.
For more about the video, see this report at Wired magazine.
Hummingbirds use these incredible tongues to catch small flying insects, as well.
After years of living in the Sonoran desert, I finally got a photograph of a clown beetle, Eleodes species, standing on its head.
These shiny black beetles are common in the Southwest. They are called a number of different names, such as desert stink beetles, clown beetles, pinacate beetles, and headstanding beetles.
Why would a beetle stand on its head? Why is it called a stink beetle?
It stands on its head probably for two reasons. Eleodes beetles are the skunks of the insect world. They can spray nasty chemicals from their rear, the tip of their abdomen. By assuming the posture, like a head standing spotted skunk, they are warning predators that they are about to spray. If the predator continues to advance, they are in position to do the most amount of damage with their spray.
The business end of an Eleodes beetle.
You might also notice the hard wing covers, or elytra. They are fused shut and the beetles are not able to fly.
What do they eat? The adults scavenge plant and animal debris. The larvae are a type of wireworm. They live mostly underground and feed on plant material. The adults also stay underground during the heat of the day.
In an effort to show you the spotted skunk doing its head stand for comparison, I found this video from the BBC. It shows a spotted skunk against an urban backdrop, with dancers mimicking its motions. Note: At one point the one of the actors is spraying graffiti and seems to spray the skunk. It is a statement about spraying chemicals, and the result of film editing, but it might be disturbing to small children. Also, this video has a pop-up ad.
It is pretty amazing how both the beetle and the spotted skunk have similar behaviors.
Have you ever seen a beetle or a spotted skunk standing on their heads? Or maybe I shoud say hand standing?
In case you haven’t “heard,” National Geographic Channel has a seven-part series coming in November called Great Migrations (see trailer below). Affiliated with the television event are a number of educational opportunities you might want to investigate.
For example, there will virtual assembly on Wednesday, October 27 with cinematographer Andy Casagrande. Your children can submit questions about his work and/or great white sharks. You need to hurry though, because question submissions are only open through October 14. Then sign up for the assembly. You might want to check the educator’s page for photos, videos and worksheets, as well.
Accompanying the series is a children’s book, Great Migrations: Whales, Wildebeests, Butterflies, Elephants, and Other Amazing Animals on the Move by Elizabeth Carney.
Great Migrations contains the dramatic, stunning photographs you have come to expect from National Geographic. Each animal is given a four page spread. The first two pages are amazing scenes in vibrant color. The second two pages are facts about the migrations those animals take that includes a map of the region where the animals occur (geography lesson).
I do have one caveat. The font on these informational pages jumps around drastically in color and size, even within a paragraph. While this is eye-catching from a design point of view, on the other hand it is a real challenge for beginning and struggling readers to follow.
If you are going to watch the series and want to have a reference on hand to emphasize points or delve a bit further into details, then this book could be a useful tool. It will be sure to get children interested in learning more.
There is also an adult book, Great Migrations by K. M. Kostyal, which I haven’t seen yet.
This trailer to give you an idea what the series is like:
Isn’t that stunning?
Note: Like in this trailer, I’m sure there will be some scenes of predators capturing prey, so it may not be suitable for young or highly-sensitive children.
More information:
Great Migrations: Whales, Wildebeests, Butterflies, Elephants, and Other Amazing Animals on the Move
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (October 12, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1426307004
ISBN-13: 978-1426307003
and
Great Migrations by K. M. Kostyal