Natural World of Living Things

How did the jackrabbit get its name?

The jackrabbit gets its name from its long ears, which resemble those of a jackass, or donkey.  Though it was originally called a “jackass rabbit,” this animal’s name has long since been shortened to “jackrabbit.”  The jackrabbit is a hare, and not a true rabbit. It has longer ears and longer legs than a rabbit.  This large hare can run up to 45 miles an hour to escape its enemies.  While running…

Do elephants really have good memories?

The theory that elephants have good memories has been greatly exaggerated.  The elephant does remember many things, but its memory is not better that that of many other animals.  Well-trained elephants can learn and remember abut 30 spoken orders. A trained elephant obeys an order, even if it has not heard the command for a while.  But it is common for a circus elephant to slip up due to slight…

Most spiders have eight eyes.  There are also six-eyed, four-eyed and two-eyed spiders.  Some species of spiders that live in cave and other dark places have no eyes at all.  A spider’s eyes are on the top and near the front of its head.

Even though a…

The expression that a cat has nine lives originated in ancient Egypt.  There, cats were worshiped as gods and often embalmed and richly buried when they died.  Because the major gods of Egypt formed a trinity, three was a sacred number.

Since the…

A starfish’s mouth, underneath its flat body, leads directly into a large, baglike stomach. The starfish can push its stomach out through its mouth.  Starfish like to eat clams and oysters.  Encircling a clam with its powerful arms, the starfish attaches…

Fish consume the water they inhabit if it agrees with their system.  Since the bodies of freshwater fish are much saltier than the water they live in, they don’t drink.  They are in danger of too much water entering their bodies, diluting their body…

Squirrels don’t always remember where they have hidden all their nuts.  Every autumn,  the tree squirrel gathers and hides acorns and other nuts.  It knows that food will be hard to find during the winter months.  It buries small stores of nuts in many…

Dogs pant to cool off when they are feeling hot.  When our body temperature gets too high, we sweat.  Evaporation of sweat from the skin takes up a lot of heat, and helps cool the body.  But dogs are almost completely covered with hair, and have every few…

Cats retract their claws in order to keep them sharp for catching mice and other prey.  A cat has a special movable joint at the end of its toes that enables the claws to move in and out.  The claws move out when they are needed.  When not in use, the cat…

Pigs wallow in mud because it feels good to them.  Pigs have no sweat glands in their thick skin to serve as a cooling system. Wallowing in mud helps pigs to keep cool on a hot day.  The coating of mud also adds a protective layer against the sun and…