What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins

Author:Steve Jenkins
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

EYES

The chameleon is found in Africa, Asia, and Europe. It hunts insects by sight, relying on its wide-set eyes to give it good depth perception. It also has to watch out for predators, and can swivel each of its eyes independently in any direction. The chameleon catches insects by quickly flicking out its sticky tongue, which is longer than its body. This tree-dwelling lizard grows up to 27 inches in length and has the unusual ability to change its skin color to match its surroundings.

The bald eagle lives throughout much of North America and is the national bird of the United States. It hunts by sight, soaring high in the air and looking for rabbits, small birds, and fish. Its eyesight is four to eight times as sharp as that of a human. The bald eagle is a large bird, with a wingspan of more than 7 feet. When it dives to attack prey, it can reach speeds faster than 150 miles per hour. The bald eagle is not really bald. Its head is covered with white feathers.

The horned lizard, often called a "horny toad," lives in the American Southwest. It is small, 3 to 5 inches in length, and covered with sharp spikes. This lizard feeds on ants and other insects and protects itself in an unusual way. If threatened, it first tries holding very still. If that doesn't work, it puffs itself up with air to make itself look larger. If it still feels threatened, it will squirt streams of blood from the corners of its eyes. This probably confuses an attacker, giving the horned lizard time to get away.

In the rivers of South America lives a fish that can look above and below the water at the same time. The four-eyed fish actually has just two eyes, but each eye is divided, with separate pupils, irises, and corneas. As it swims along the surface of the water, the top half of each eye can look up and watch for predators or insects to eat. The lower half, meanwhile, is looking down to find prey or watch for danger that might come from below. The four-eyed fish about 10 inches long.

British explorers in Africa heard sounds in the night that sounded like the cries of lost children. That's how the bush baby, a relative of the lemur and monkey, got its name. This tree-dwelling mammal is only 6 to 9 inches tall and weighs less than half a pound. It sleeps during the day and hunts insects, lizards, and mice at night. The bush baby has very large, round eyes that allow it to see in dim nighttime light. Its eyes don't move in their sockets, so the bush baby is constantly turning its head from side to side.

FEET

Chimpanzees are humans' closest animal relatives. These intelligent animals live in the forests of Africa and are typically 5 feet tall and 135 pounds. Like people, they have an opposable thumb. Unlike us, they also have an opposable big toe. This allows them to pick up and manipulate things with their feet.

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