Monsters in the Night E-Book

Lisa Regan

• Herausgeber: Amber Books Ltd
• Kategorie: Für Kinder und Jugendliche
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 112

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Beschreibung

Which creatures come out at night? What goes on in the natural world while we are asleep? Monsters in the Night collects more than 40 of the most exciting and scary nocturnal animals from all kinds of habitats from around the world, from the copperhead snake, the red-kneed tarantula and the firefly, to the giant Wels catfish and death’s-head hawkmoth. Learn how the vampire bat lives on only blood, how the jaguar tracks down its prey, and how the Kakapo builds a night garden to attract a mate. Featuring, scorpions, snakes, frogs, owls, bats, anteaters, badgers and wolves, among other creatures, Monsters in the Night is illustrated throughout with outstanding new full-colour annotated artworks for each animal. With easy-to-follow descriptions of each animal’s habitat and life cycle, as well as locator maps and factfile boxes, this book will appeal to any child interested in wildlife.

Leseprobe

MONSTERS

INTHE

NIGHT

MONSTERS

INTHE

NIGHT

LISA REGAN

This digital edition first published in 2014

Published byAmber Books LtdNorth RoadLondon N7 9DPUnited Kingdom

Website: www.amberbooks.co.ukInstagram: www.instagram.com/amberbooksltd/Facebook: www.facebook.com/amberbooksTwitter: @amberbooks

Copyright © 2014 Amber Books Ltd

ISBN:  978 1 908696 81 6

PICTURE CREDITS

IMP AB; International Book Management; Amber Books Ltd; Rick Fawcett

All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purpose ofreview no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permis-sion from the publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to thebest of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee onthe part of the author or publisher, who also disclaim any liability incurred in con-nection with the use of this data or specific details.

www.amberbooks.co.uk

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

6

IN THE AIR TONIGHTDeath's Head HawkmothEagle OwlFireflyFlying SquirrelMosquitoPipistrelle BatVampire Bat

8101214161820

NIGHT CRAWLERSCockroachDung BeetleRed-Kneed TarantulaThick-Tailed ScorpionWels Catfish

2224262830

SOMETHING TO LOOK ATAnglerfishBat-Eared FoxCopperhead SnakeGround PangolinHippopotamusKakapoKiwiNaked Mole RatNine-Banded ArmadilloMoray Eel

32343638404244464850

ON THE PROWLAngel SharkGray WolfJaguarLeopardHoney BadgerScreech OwlSpotted HyenaTasmanian Devil

5254565860626466

IN THE NEIGHBORHOODBandicootBarn OwlClick BeetleEuropean BadgerHedgehogRaccoon

687072747678

TREE DWELLERSAye-AyeBinturongGreen Tree PythonKoalaLorisRed-Eyed Tree FrogTarsierVirginia Opposum

8082848688909294

INDEX

96

INTRODUCTION

D

o you know what's lurking in the darkness? Can you sensethe rustle of something that's alive out there in theundergrowth? Did you hear the muffled squeak, or the

crack of a twig, that gives an unmistakable clue?

Don't get too scared! Many creatures hunt and eat in thenighttime, making them nocturnal, but they're not all man-killers.Many of the animals contained within this book are completelyharmless to humans. Some of them, such as the koala and thebinturong, live their lives in the trees, munching peacefully onleaves or fruit. Others shy away from any sort of human contact sothey rarely harm people, even though they are venomous or havekiller claws and teeth.

Of course, some animals will attack if they feel threatened. Thehippo is one of Africa's most dangerous animals, even though itdoesn't actually kill to eat meat. Its size and its temperament meanit must be treated with the greatest respect and due caution. Andalthough it feeds at night, it is alert enough in the daytime to showup occasionally and scare the tourists on safari.

There are certain creatures lurking within these pages that canbe a real threat to humans. They have savage claws and vicious

Gray Wolf

teeth for slashing and biting, or needlelike stingers for deliveringdeadly venom. And you'll find the ultimate nighttime nightmarecreature: an animal with razorlike teeth that are so sharp they don'teven wake their victim when they pierce the skin, such as theVampire Bat. Clearly, nocturnal hunters are a force to be reckonedwith—or avoided at all costs!

So, who's frightening and who isn't? Each creature, from theshyest to the scariest, has been assessed for its fear factor, whichyou can find out using the “Level of Threat to Humans” gauge. Thiswill help you decide whether you're ready to venture outdoorsafter dark. This rating takes into account all sorts of factors,including whether the animal could put you into the hospital, ifyou would need a special antidote for its venom, or the BIG ONE:probability of death.

Scary stuff!

Barn Owl

DEATH'S HEAD HAWKMOTH

IN THE AIR TONIGHT

9

WINGS

This is one of thefastest moths. It haslong, narrow wings anda streamlined body tohelp it fly quickly.

TONGUE

A hawkmoth has atongue like a coiledspring, called itsproboscis. It uncurls tofeed on honey andtree sap. Other typesof moth have a longerproboscis to reachinto flowers for nectar.

THORAX

The death's headhawkmoth gets itsname from thedistinctive skullmarkings on its back.

COLORS

Bright colors andmarkings such as theyellow stripes on itsabdomen help tokeep away predators.

T

he death's head hawkmoth not only looks striking, it hasunusual features, too. It can squeak loudly if it is handledor annoyed. Instead of sucking nectar from plants, as

most moths do, these moths steal honey from beehives. Theyraid the hives and can move around without being stung bycopying the scent or the noise of thebees, as a form of disguise. They areamong the fastest-flying insects, and canreach speeds of more than 30 mph(50 kph). In ancient times, the mothswere often linked to war or death.

HOW BIG IS IT?

AT A GLANCE

Lifespan:Weight:

Wingspan:

2–3 months0.2 ounces(7 g)Up to 5 inches(13 cm)

World HabitatThe three species of death'shead hawkmoth live inEurope, Africa, and Asia.They migrate long distancesin order to breed.

EndangeredStatus

NotListed

DID YOU KNOW?

The moth is featured in horror stories and movies, probablybecause of its spine-chilling skull markings and name. In BramStoker's novel Dracula the vampire sends the moths to a lunatic,named Renfield, to eat, and the poster for the movie Silence of theLambs shows the main character with the moth over her mouth.

There are three species of death's head hawkmoth. Each of themis in the genus Acherontia (from the Greek river Acheron, which theancient Greeks believed was linked to the underworld) and has anadditional part to its name that is linked with death.

The caterpillars are huge, growing to 6 inches(15 cm) long. Their favorite food is potatoes, sothey are often seen on agricultural land.

It used to be known as the “bee robber”for obvious reasons.

Low  High

LEVEL OF THREATTO HUMANS?

The death's head hawkmoth hatches from an egg as a caterpillar. Thecaterpillars are known as horn-worms because they have a spine on

the end of their tail. The caterpillars are bright yellow with purple stripes, anduse their mandibles (mouthparts) to bite if threatened. They eat constantlyuntil they reach their pupal stage, and emerge from their cocoon as an adult.

••

••

EAGLE OWL

IN THE AIR TONIGHT

11

SIZE

This powerful predatoris one of the world'slargest owls, andweighs up to 7 pounds(around 3 kg)—thesame as an averagehuman baby.

“EAR” TUFTS

These feathers aresometimes calledhorns, and do not helpthe owl's hearing atall. They stand uprighton a male and droopdown on a female.

PLUMAGE

The bird's mottledbrown feathers andpale belly help tocamouflage the owlin the daytime.

EYES

An eagle owl hasunusual, and verystriking, bright orangeeyes. It can see well inthe daytime, and canstare straight at theSun. This is extremelydangerous forhumans becauselooking straight atthe Sun can causepeople to go blind.

T

hese huge owls have a wingspan of around 6 feet (1.8 m)—the height of a fully grown man. Their size means theycan hunt and kill large prey such as herons and deer,

although they are quite happy to fill up on rats, squirrels, andhares. They nest in rocky crevices linedwith a few feathers, choosing places oncliff ledges, in caves, and even quarries,where they can watch for approachingdanger. They perch motionless until nightfalls, when their fantastic sense of sightand hearing enables them to find food.

HOW BIG IS IT?

AT A GLANCE

Lifespan:Weight:

Length:Wingspan:

20 years7 pounds(3 kg)23–30 inches(58–76 cm)58–80 inches(140–200 cm)

World HabitatEagle owls are “Old World”owls, found across Europeand much of Asia but notin the Americas.

LeastConcern

EndangeredStatus

DID YOU KNOW?

Their call sounds more like a single “Wooooo” than the “Twittwoo” sound suggested for storybook owls.

One pair of breeding eagle owls in the north of England becameinfamous for attacking people walking their dogs. Most (maybe all)eagle owls in Britain are thought to have escaped from captivity.

The Finnish soccer team is nicknamed after the eagle owl eversince one flew onto the field during a game in 2007 andwatched for a few minutes from the crossbarof the goal!

Eagle owls and other horned owls belongto a different group from barn owls. Hornedowls are known as “typical” owls; there aremore types of typical owl than barn owl.

Low   High

LEVEL OF THREATTO HUMANS?

An eagle owl's striking features are its size, its eyes, and its ear tufts.These may be for camouflage—to break up the owl's outline in the

daytime and make them harder to see—or to attract a mate and to helprecognize individual birds or species. Less obvious are its amazing talons,which are bigger than a leopard's claws. Eagle owls have been seen fastasleep but still clutching their dinner!

••

••

FIREFLY

IN THE AIR TONIGHT

13

TAIL

A firefly's tail containschemicals that glowand produce aluminous green light,which the firefly canflash on and off.

WINGS

Despite their name,fireflies are beetles,not flies. Like allbeetles, they havewings (although somefemales are winglessand look more likethe larvae).

FAMILIES

Fireflies are allmembers of theLampyridae familyand are closely relatedto the Phengodidaefamily of glowworms.

LIGHT

Making light is knownas “bioluminescence.”Fireflies do it to attracta mate, but it may alsowarn predators thatthey taste really bad.

F

ireflies are also known as lightning bugs, and can be seenflashing away in the nighttime. They give off light toattract other fireflies to help defend their territory or warn

off predators. Often, the males fly around and flash to attractthe females. Each species has its ownpattern of flashes, so a female of thesame species will flash back to signal toa male. Some species live in trees, wherethe females wait to find a mate, whileothers have aquatic larvae with gills.Fireflies are usually found near rivers,streams, ponds, and lakes.

HOW BIG IS IT?

AT A GLANCE

Lifespan:Weight:Length:

About2 monthsLess than1 ounce (20 g)0.2–1.5 inches(0.5–3.8 cm)

World HabitatFireflies live on all continentsexcept Antarctica. They arefound in warm, humid areasin temperate and tropicalforests, in marshes, and fields.

NotListed

EndangeredStatus

DID YOU KNOW?

Although each species has its own flash, some sneaky speciescopy the flash of other species to trick them into coming closer.Then they eat them!

Scientists marvel at the efficiency of a firefly's flash. A lightbulbgives off heat energy as well as light energy—as much as 90 percentof energy is lost as heat. A firefly's glow is 100 percent light energy.

Fireflies are not good food. When they are attacked, they give offdrops of blood that taste awful and can be venomous. Manyanimals have learned not to eat fireflies.

Scientists have found many uses for thechemicals fireflies use to glow. These includedetectors on spacecraft looking for life inouter space, and medical studies into celldiseases such as cancer.

Low   High

LEVEL OF THREATTO HUMANS?

Firefly larvae are predators, and eat dead animals, earthworms, andother invertebrates. They follow the slime trails left by snails or

slugs, and sometimes gang up to attack larger creatures. Their front endhas a sickle-shaped mandible, which the firefly uses to inject venom intoprey to paralyze it. When they become adults, many fireflies feed onnectar and pollen, but some may eat nothing for their short lifespan!

••

••

FLYING SQUIRREL

IN THE AIR TONIGHT

15

WINGS

A flying squirrel's“wings” are actually afurry flap of skin oneach side of its body,spreading from itswrists to its ankles.The flap is called apatagium.

TAIL

The tail is not used forsteering as is oftenthought—it is too flatfor that. It is used forbalance when glidingand climbing, and forslowing down in flight.

WHISKERS

The squirrel uses thesensitive hairs on itssnout to help find itsway in the dark. Itseems that squirrelsoften navigatethrough thick treeswith their eyes closed!

EYES

Like so manynocturnal creatures,the flying squirrel hasexceptionally largeeyes to collect asmuch available lightas possible.

T

here are several different types of flying squirrel in theworld. Two of them are New World creatures, the northernand southern flying (seen here) squirrels. Both are about

the size of a tree squirrel, but differ in one very obvious way:they have wings! They cannot truly fly likea bat, but they are extremely good atlaunching themselves from trees andgliding down to a chosen spot, often up to165 feet (50 m) away. Asian flying squirrelsare much bigger and can travel as much as1,300 feet (400 m) from branch to branch.