Ranger Rick articles from May 1997

Ranger Rick archives from May 1997

Make way for mallards.(how mallard ducklings grow up)
May 1, 1997... Out of all the colorful male ducks on a Texas pond, Molly Mallard chose Max. All winter Molly and Max hung out together. Then in March, as the days grew longer, the pair took a long trip north to North Dakota. There, in the prairie wetlands,...

Adventures of Ranger Rick: are animals' homes in danger in Deep Green Wood?(short story)
May 1, 1997... Ranger Rick Raccoon padded wearily down a path toward his hollow oak-tree home. He was just returning from a long trip, and he yawned as he got to his entrance hole. Then he paused. Stuck to the bark were several tufts of brown fur. "What's...

More facts.(about programs to protect old trees that provide housing to forest animals)
May 1, 1997... People often cut down old trees for lumber or firewood, or to "clean up" an area. But hollow, dying, or deadtrees may be super valuable for wildlife, giving food and shelter to nearly a third of all forest creatures. The U.S. Forest Service,...

Absolutely nothing.(poem)
May 1, 1997... Dinosaurs . . . They're very, very dead, you know. They died a zillion years ago. . . . But whether they're alive or dead, there's one that hides beneath my bed. His teeth are huge. He has big scales. His toenails are as sharp as...

Design-a-dino.(recipe for dinosaur-shaped cookies painted with food coloring)
May 1, 1997... Some dinosaurs may have had brightly colored skin. How do you think they looked? Go wild by cooking up some designer dino cookies. Cookie Recipe 1/3 cup shortening 1/3 cup sugar 1 egg 2/3 cup honey 1 teaspoon lemon flavoring 3...

Mother's magic.(animals that nurse their babies)(includes related information about mammary glands)
May 1, 1997... Mother's Day is on its way. What a great time to say, "Thanks, Mom, for mother's milk!" Here's a puzzle to try on your mom on Mother's Day: How are you and I like a moose, a mouse, a monkey, and a mole? The answer is that we're all mam-...

Milk myths.
May 1, 1997... Milk has been so important to people for thousands of years that they have made up many stories, or myths, about it. Here are just a few. Cleopatra, Queen of Ancient Egypt, used to bathe in donkey's milk because she thought it would keep her...

Udderly ridiculous riddles.(riddles about cows and milk)
May 1, 1997... What do you call a cow that can't give any milk? An udder failure. When is the best time to milk a cow? When she is in the moo-d. What does the Invisible Man drink for a snack? Evaporated milk. What do you get from a cow after an...

The Children's Garden: want a great way to spend your summer vacation? Do what we did!(children grow organic flowers, vegetables and herbs at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia)
May 1, 1997... Here's where we spent last summer--The Children's Garden in Richmond, Virginia. It's part of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. We came here every week to work and have fun. We grew flowers, herbs, and vegetables. And no one cared if we got...

Travels of Chessie.(manatee travels from Florida to Connecticut)
May 1, 1997... Chessie is the most famous manatee in the world--all because of his summer journeys that take him far from his Florida home. Chessie began making headlines in the fall of 1994. That's when he was first spotted in the Chesapeake Bay, off the...

More manatee facts.
May 1, 1997... Chessie the manatee was named after the Chesapeake Bay. Florida manatees are also called West Indian manatees or sea cows. They are related to manatees in South America and West Africa and to dugongs north of Australia. Manatees are mammals....

The Big Help!(Nickelodeon project organizes children to clean and fix up their communities)
May 1, 1997... You may have already heard about Nickelodeon's project for kids called The Big Help. More than five million kids across the United States have taken part in it. They do things like visit people in hospitals and nursing homes, clean up parks and...

Kids helping kestrels.(volunteers build and install nest boxes for kestrels)
May 1, 1997... The American kestrel is the smallest hawk in North America. (Some say it's the cutest too--it looks as if it's wearing a moustache.) You may have seen these birds perched on fenceposts near grassy fields. That's because their favorite...

Natural helpers.(scientists use honeybees to check for harmful chemicals in the environment)
May 1, 1997... Years ago, some harmful chemicals were buried at an Army base in Maryland. Now, scientists want to know if any are leaking out into the surrounding environment. And they've figured out a clever way to check. They trucked in 14 beehives filled...

Nests are the best!(birds build their nests in spring)
May 1, 1997... Have you seen any birds fly by with bits of building supplies in their beaks? Different birds build their nests out of different things. Can you spot any nests in trees or fields near you? What are they made of? If you're patient, you may see a...

Dinosaurs galore!(Postal Service to issue 15 new dinosaur stamps)
May 1, 1997... Dinosaurs Galore! Hey, kids--if you love dinosaurs, keep an eye out for 15 new dino stamps oming to post offices soon! Also, if you like collecting stamps, the U.S. Postal Service has a kids' pro- gram called STAMPERS. You can get free...

Insects everywhere!(how to observe insects)
May 1, 1997... Thousands of different kinds of insects get busy this time of year. Some of them, such as black flies and mosquitos, can drive you nuts with their bites. Others, such as ants and beetles, are fun to watch as they creep along the ground. What are...

Kids on the radio.(children's winning science reports broadcast on radio show called 'Earth & Sky')
May 1, 1997... Kids on the Radio From May 5 to 9, you can listen to five kids' winning science reports on a daily radio show called "Earth & Sky." To find out if it's on a station near you, ask an adult to call 512-480-8773. Or check http://www.earthsky.com on...

Sky watchers.(astronomical observations during May 1997)
May 1, 1997... Look for the comet Hale-Bopp through early May. (It won't be visible again from Earth for about 2000 years!) On the evening of May 8, you'll be able to see the comet above and to the right of the crescent moon. On May 15 and 16, the moon will be...

Animals in armor: having a hard body is a good thing if you're an animal under attack.(includes information on armor worn by knights)(Cover Story)
May 1, 1997... You've heard of knights in shining armor. Even today, some people wear bullet- proof vests or ride around in armored vehicles. It's all to protect the body from harm. But guess what--nature did it first! Many animals come with ready-made suits...

Do ticks have brains?(Ask Scarlett)
May 1, 1997... Yes, they do. I know that may be hard to believe. After all, leaping onto another animal and sucking its blood seems pretty much like a no-brainer. But even a tick needs a brain to help it find food. It's not much of a brain, mind you. It's...

Someone told me not to save a baby bird if I find one on the ground. Why not?(Ask Scarlett)
May 1, 1997... Because usually the bird isn't in any trouble. Most likely, its parents are not far off and will come back to take care of it. They may even be waiting just out of sight for you to go away! If you think there's immediate danger--such as a cat...

What's the difference between poisonous and venomous animals?(Ask Scarlett)
May 1, 1997... A poisonous animal has poison in it. The poison may be yucky or harmful if you get it in or on you. But you have to touch or try to eat the poisonous animal to get the poison. Dart-poison frogs and monarch butterflies are examples of poisonous...

Where did the name "butterfly" come from?(Ask Scarlett)
May 1, 1997... Your guess is as good as mine. The name has been around for so long that no one knows for sure where it came from. The old Dutch name for butterfly has to do with the insect's butter-colored poop. But that's a weird way to get a name, don't...