Ranger Rick articles from March 1995

Ranger Rick archives from March 1995

What are these snouts about?(fish with unusually long snouts)
March 1, 1995... SAWFISH THE WEIRDEST SNOUT EVER? The sawfish's saw-like snout has sharp teeth along the edges. The fish may stir up the ocean bottom with it to find hidden creatures to eat. Or, like the sailfish, it may slash through schools of fish....

Adventures of Ranger Rick: Elmo Armadillo has heard horrible news. Can he and the gang save the whole earth?(short story)
March 1, 1995... Ranger Rick Raccoon flicked his fishing line into the lake, leaned back against a willow tree, and breathed deeply. The warm air was full of rich, earthy smells. And from all around, Rick could hear the little rustles and chirps and hums of...

Heard lots of bad news about the environment lately?(some ways the environment is improving)
March 1, 1995... Heard lots of bad news about the environment lately? Sometimes it seems like nothing we do makes any difference. But some things are getting better: * The Earth's air is getting cleaner for the first time in 30 years. * In 1993, for the...

Reindeer round-up.(life of nomads who herd reindeer in Mongolia)
March 1, 1995... Can you imagine coming home in the afternoon and jumping on a reindeer for a ride with your friends? Reindeer are like big dogs, friendly and gentle. Best of all, you can ride them, and they run fast. I know, because my family helps take care of...

Home-alone bees.(leaf-cutter bees and carpenter bees)
March 1, 1995... Can you BEE-lieve this? There are at least 20,000 species (kinds) of bees in the world. Most kinds are solitary, That means that each bee lives alone instead of living with other bees in a hive. Want to see some? Here are two types of home-alone...

Puppet pals.(how to make a puppet from folded paper)
March 1, 1995... Want to make Ranger Rick, Scarlett Fox, and the rest of the gang come alive? Then grab some paper and start folding! FOR EACH PUPPET YOU WILL NEED: * 8 1/2 11" piece of paper (thin paper works best) * Scissors * Glue (optional) *...

The snack attack: a tale of two critters.(sea slug eats sea anemone's tentacles)
March 1, 1995... One day a tube anemone (uh-NEM-uh-nee) sat minding its own business on the ocean floor. This flower-like sea animal (photo at left) wasn't looking for trouble -- anemones never do. But suddenly... up crept a hungry sea slug. That's the red...

How to win her over.(how male birds try to attract mates)(Cover Story)
March 1, 1995... Soon it will be spring -- the time when male birds try to impress the females. But what does it take to win a choosy mate? We've asked some male birds to tell us what they do. Hi--I'm a male rainbow lori-keet sitting here with my mate. See how...

Is it possible there's life on other planets and stars?
March 1, 1995... Space scientists haven't found even a hint of life on other planets in our solar system. (A solar system is a star and all the planets that revolve around it.) So they're pretty sure none exists there. And the scientists know there can't be any...

Why are ladybugs called ladybugs ifthey're not all ladies?
March 1, 1995... Ladybugs, or ladybird beetles, got their name about 500 years ago in Europe. It seems that farmers were having big trouble with insects called aphids (AY-fids). The aphids were sucking the juices from the farmers' grape vines. So the farmers...

How many animals live in the rainforest?
March 1, 1995... No one really knows. But what we do know is that most species (kinds) of animals in a rainforest are insects. And most of them live high in the treetops, which people have just begun to explore. One scientist has found more than 1000 different...

When a frog is going through metamorphosis, does it hurt?
March 1, 1995... Pain is your body's way of telling you something is wrong. And pain works the same way in frogs. As you know, metamorphosis (met-uh-MORG-uh-sis) is what happens when a tadpole changes into a frog. It's a natural part of a frog's life, just as...

Where are whales' ears?
March 1, 1995... Whales have no ear flaps, or outer ears, like the ones we have on the sides of our heads. In fact, the only part of the ear that shows on a whale is a tiny opening behind each eye. Ear flaps are great for gathering sounds from the air. But such...

Monkey mustache, monkey beard.(poem)
March 1, 1995... Monkey mustache, Monkey beard, Guess you think We both look weird. But mustache mouth And scruffy chin Are right for me-- A tamarin. And monks like me, To look just right, Need "goatee" beards. Aren't I a sight? With mustache...