Ranger Rick articles from October 1996

Ranger Rick archives from October 1996

Back off, Buddy!(different ways in which animals scare each other)
October 1, 1996... How do animals scare their enemies? By looking big and tough--or using other bluffs. I'M BIG AND BAD! Look whoooo's saying Boo! This eagle owl looks Halloween-scary, doesn't it? With its staring eyes, fluffed-up feathers, and raised wings,...

Goofy gourds.(making creatures out of gourds)
October 1, 1996... Want to make plain old gourds look simply gourd-jus? Take a look at these goofy gourds, then read the directions below. * Did you grow any ornamental gourds this summer? (Suggested in the June issue, page 4.) If so, you can pick them as soon as...

Eye spy.(animals with mask-like markings on their faces)
October 1, 1996... Why is this three-toed sloth scratching its chin? Maybe it's thinking, Hmmm, wonder what those animals over there have to do with me. Do you know how all these animals are alike? Turn the page to find out. red panda ring-tailed lemurs masked...

Reader riddles.(riddles about animals)
October 1, 1996... What kind of shoes do reptiles wear? Snake-ers. Erin Moore; Panama City, FL Where do fish go for fast food? McPondalds. Laura Diesman; Hayward, CA What do you call it when lots of jaguars fight? A Jag-war. Seth Munson; Carlisle, PA What...

Oh, rats!(keeping rats as pets)
October 1, 1996... Christa has rats "coming out of her ears," and she loves it! Christa Sovern's pet rats like to ride around on her shoulders (see photo below). She giggles when their tails tickle her cheeks. But when Christa sits down, the rats run to her lap...

Rat rap.(facts about behavior, physical aspects and appreciation of rats)
October 1, 1996... Rat Relatives There are more than 50 species (kinds) of wild rats that are close relatives of pet rats. Some live in hot places and others prefer cold. Some like damp places and others live in deserts. Most rats use burrows. But some can be...

Show-offs of the sea.(sea slugs in their habitat)
October 1, 1996... When you hear the word slug, do you think of a slimy blob creeping across the sidewalk? If so, you're in for a big surprise! Welcome to the colorful world of sea slugs. SLUGS HERE, THERE, EVERYWHERE You may never have seen a real, live sea...

Adventures of Ranger Rick: after a couple of scares, the gang learns about helping some rare cats.(short story)
October 1, 1996... After a couple of scares, the gang learns about helping some rare cats. Yeeooowl! An angry scream shattered the peaceful Texas dawn. Ranger Rick Raccoon, Scarlett Fox, Elmo Armadillo, and Boomer Badger looked up from the ditch where they had...

More facts.(about ocelots)
October 1, 1996... * Ocelots live from southern Texas all the way down to Argentina in South America. They can be found in forests or dry scrubland. * These cats usually hunt at night. Sometimes they sound like house cats when they call to each other in the dark....

Wild stamps.(stamps featuring wild endangered animals debut in October 1996)
October 1, 1996... Do you collect stamps? Want to begin? Now is a good time, since October is National Stamp Collecting Month. This October, the U.S. Postal Service has a special sheet of stamps rolling off the presses. Each of the 15 new stamps shows an animal...

Scientists at work.(scientific discoveries of about life forms)
October 1, 1996... Scientists around the world are busy making discoveries about nature and the environment: * In Denmark, a microscopic creature was found on the lips of a Norwegian lobster. (Lobster lips may be the only place it lives!) The creature is teensy,...

Kids' groups around the globe.(children's groups from around the world work the help the environment)
October 1, 1996... Two years ago, with help from the United Nations, groups of kids from more than 75 countries put together an environmental book for the 21st century. The book, called Rescue Mission: Planet Earth, is about an action plan for cleaning up the...

More info.(news about Use Less Stuff Day on Nov. 21, 1996, and other information)
October 1, 1996... NOV. 21: USE LESS STUFF DAY Get this: Between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the amount of trash Americans throw away goes up by a million tons a week. Yikes! Now there's a special day to remind people not to make so much trash. November...

Bugged!(short story)
October 1, 1996... Bugs really bugged me. But then my dad stepped into the garage. My permission slip for the camp-out is signed, but I still don't know if I want to go. I have to decide by the time Mrs. Able, the leader, calls me tonight. I want to go, but I...

What good are bats?(facts about bats and how they are good, not bad animals)
October 1, 1996... Bats have a bad rep. Some people think they're ugly pests that always carry rabies and get tangled in people's hair. Bats almost never carry rabies, and none get in your hair. In fact, bats do many, many jobs that help wildlife and people....

One batty bridge!(people in Austin, Texas learn to appreciate the many bats that reside in a bridge there)
October 1, 1996... This story shows what can happen when a whole city gets in a bat mood. It started with a bridge in Austin, Texas. About 10 years ago, the old Congress Avenue Bridge was rebuilt. The new bridge had lots of tiny nooks that were perfect places...

Archaeopteryx.(facts about prehistoric bird)
October 1, 1996... Archie Who? Archaeopteryx (ar-kee-OP-ter-ix) lived 150 million years ago during the Jurassic Period. It shared the Earth with dinosaurs and flying reptiles known as pterosaurs (TARE-uh-sars). Seven fossils of "Archie" (like the one shown...