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September 1st, 2008

Why can’t ostriches fly?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

According to scientists, a bird that weighs more than 18kg will not be able to fly since it could not have enough muscles to carry it off the ground. Since ostriches are very heavy, weighing up to 150kg, they can only stay on the ground.

Do not worry though, because an ostrich can still get away from its enemies. With its two-toed leg, it can run up to 72km/hr – even faster than lions. It can also defend itself with its sharp and heavy claws.
Source: Miller, S. S. (2001). Bizarre Birds. New York: F. Watts.

For more information, here are some recommended library books on bizarre birds and birds in general:

bizarre-birds.jpg
Bizarre birds by Sara Swan Miller
Publisher: New York: F. Watts, c2001
Summary: Discusses several species of birds that have unusual appearances, habitats, or behavior, such as the ostrich, jacana, and toucan.
Call No.: J 598 MIL

bird-class.jpg
The bird class by Rebecca Stefoff.
Publisher: Tarrytown, N.Y. : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, c2008
Summary: Explores the habitats, life cycles, and other characteristics of organisms in the bird class.
Call No.: J 598 STE

ostrich.jpg
Ostrich : the world’s biggest bird by Natalie Lunis
Publisher: New York : Bearport Pub., c2007.
Summary: Examines the life of an ostrich, including how it escapes from danger, what it eats, where it lives, and how it raises its young.
Call No.: J P 598.5 LUN

ostriches.jpg
Ostriches by William John Ripple
Publisher: Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2005
Call No.: J P 598.5 RIP

usborne.jpg
The Usborne little book of birds by Sarah Khan
Publisher: London : Usborne, 2008
Call No.: J 598 KHA

All websites were last accessed on 1 September 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use. All book summaries were taken from the book descriptions. All images were extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

sieu-pin.JPGAnswered by Mr Lim Sieu Pin
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Posted by Ms Elizabeth Lee
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

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3,508 views
August 5th, 2008

Why do zebras have stripes?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

[Editor speaks: We know zebras have special markings called stripes on their bodies. But what exact function do they serve, those stripes? Are they a special calling to zebras from other herds? Or are they for aesthetics’ purposes? Hmmm, something for your mind to chew upon…]

“Because zebras spend so much time eating, they are an easy target for predators, and some zoologists have suggested that zebra stripes act as a protective camouflage. According to this theory, their bold markings break up their body outline, making them difficult to see from far away. Another explanation for zebra markings is that in a herd, zebra stripes confuse would-be attackers by making it hard for them to single out an individual animal from a backdrop of constantly shifting stripes.

To many experts, a more convincing explanation for zebra stripes lies in their social life. Like most members of the horse family, zebras are highly gregarious, and they constantly seek out each other’s company. Their stripes may act like an identity badge, helping individual animals stay in contact with one another. Very occasionally, unstriped zebras do occur, and these animals tend to stay isolated from their own kind—suggesting to some scientists that zebra stripes act more as a way to develop social relationships than as a form of camouflage.”

Source: Burnie, D Zebra. In Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia [Web]. Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved July 29, 2008, from http://encarta.msn.com/
encyclopedia_761575094/Zebra.html

So, there are 3 possible reasons for zebras having stripes:
1) The stripes act as protective camouflage from predators.
2) The stripes would confuse predators during their attacks as they make it difficult to single out one animal from a background of changing stripes.
3) The stripes are an identity badge for zebras and help them stay in contact with each other.

For more information, here are some recommended library books on zebras:

zebras.jpg
Zebras by Catherine Ipcizade
Publisher: Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2008
Summary: Discusses the characteristics and habits of zebras.
Call No.: J P 599.665 IPC

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Endangered zebras by Kelley MacAulay
Publisher: New York, NY : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2007
Call No.: J 599.665 MAC

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Zebras by Amelie von Zumbusch
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : PowerKids Press, 2007
Call No.: J P 599.665 ZUM

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Zebras by Sandra Markle
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Company, 2007
Call No.: J 599.665 MAR

If you would like to visit websites on zebras, here are some good sites to check out as well:

1) National Geographic’s profile of zebras - http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/
mammals/zebra.html
2) Zebra at Animal Corner - http://www.animalcorner.co.uk/wildlife/
zebra/zebra_about.html
3) Animal Diversity Web’s (University of Michigan) profile on Equus grevyi - http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/
accounts/information/Equus_grevyi.html
4) Oakland Zoo’s profile on zebras - http://www.oaklandzoo.org/meet_the_animals/zebra,-grant’s-(common)

All websites were last accessed on 5 August 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use. All book summaries were taken from the book descriptions. All images were extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Liz_ASK_Pic.JPGAnswered and posted by Ms Elizabeth Lee
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

Filed under ..Children, Pets & Animals Comments (3)
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July 30th, 2008

How thick is an elephant’s skin?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

An elephant’s skin is about 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Its skin is wrinkled and extremely tough. Despite having a thick skin, the elephant can still get sunburns and insect bites. It often covers itself with dust and mud to protect its skin from insects and the sun.

Fun facts about the elephants:
- An elephant’s trunk has more than 60,000 muscles!
- A wild elephant drinks about 40 gallons (approximately 151.4 litres of water) daily.
- A male elephant calf will stay with its mother until it is aged about ten.
- Young elephants often eat the dung of other elephants to get useful bacteria that aid in digestion.
- A female elephant is pregnant for 22 months before it gives birth to a calf.

Sources:
1) Smith, Roland (1995). African Elephants. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publications Company.
2) Niz, Xavier (2005). Elephants. Mankato, Minnesota: Capstone Press.
3) Bedoyere, Camilla de la (2007). 100 things you should know about elephants. Great Bardfield, Essex: Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd.

Books for thoughts: 

100-things.jpg 

100 things you should know about elephants by Camilla de la Bedoyere.
Publisher: Great Bardfield : Miles Kelly, 2007.
Call No.: J 599.67 DEL

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Endangered elephants by Bobbie Kalman.
Series Title: Earth’s endangered animals series
Publisher: New York, NY : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2005.
Call no.: J 599.67 KAL

elephants.jpg

Elephants by Kris Hirschmann.
Series Title: Animals attack
Publisher: Detroit, Mich. : KidHaven Press, c2006.
Call No.: J 599.67 HIR

You can check the availability of the above titles through our online catalogue.  
All book covers were extracted from www.bn.com.adeline.jpg
Posted by Ms Adeline Tan
Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

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July 2nd, 2008

Why do moths fly around lights?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

Moths are positively phototactic, which means they are attracted to light - porch light, your headlights or your campfire. While there is no definitive explanation for this phenomenon, there are some interesting theories.

Some types of moths are known to migrate, and it is possible they get the navigational clues from the night sky. A moth’s up-down orientation might depend in part on the brightness of the sky relative to the ground.

Some scientists suggest that moths use the moon as a primary reference point and have the ability to adjust their flight paths as the Earth’s rotation causes the moon to move across the sky.

Thus a moth’s attraction to an artificial light or to a fire could be related to orientation, and lead to disorientation — the moth was not “expecting” to actually get to “the moon” (the light source) or to be able to fly above it, so confusion results.

Source: Howstuffworks “Why are moths attracted to light?”. Retrieved on 2 July 2008, from Howstuffworks website: http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/question675.htm

You can also listen to the audio clip, “Why are moths attracted to flame?”, at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12903572, where Dr. May Berenbaum (http://www.life.uiuc.edu/entomology/faculty/berenbaum.html) was interviewed by the National Public Radio station.

Here are some recommended library books on moths:

moth.jpg
The life cycle of a moth by JoAnn Early Macken; reading consultant, Susan Nations.
Publisher: Milwaukee, WI : Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2006
Series Title: Things with wings
Call No.: J P 595.78 MAC

moths.jpg
Moths by Fran Howard
Publisher: Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2005
Series Title: Pebble plus. Bugs, bugs, bugs!
Call No.: J P 595.78 HOW

night-science.jpg
Night science for kids : exploring the world after dark by Terry Krautwurst
Publisher: New York : Lark Books, 2005, c2003
Summary: “Provides ideas and activities for discovering what changes in the world after dark, including the arrival of moths and owls, fog, and the stars.”
Call No.: J 591.5 KRA

butterfly-name.jpg
Where did the butterfly get its name? : questions and answers about butterflies and moths by Melvin and Gilda Berger ; illustrated by Higgins Bond
Publisher: New York : Scholastic Reference, c2002
Series Title: Scholastic question and answer series
Summary: “Presents information about the physical characteristics, habitat, behavior, and life cycle of butterflies and moths in question-and-answer format.”
Call No.: J 595.78 BER

All websites were last accessed on 2 July 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use. All book summaries were taken from the book descriptions. All images were extracted from www.amazon.com, www.scholastic.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

noriahni.JPGOriginally answered by Ms Noriahni Binte Ismail
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Posted by Ms Elizabeth Lee
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.

If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

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5,005 views
June 2nd, 2008

What is the fastest insect?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

According to the book “Insect” by Robert Snedden, the fastest moving insects are tiger beetles. Their fastest recorded speed is nearly nine kilometres per hour. And that means these beetles can move at about 120 times their own length every second.

Here are some more interesting facts about insects:

1) The longest insect every measured was a stick insect 55 centimetres in length.

2) An insect can keep working for a while without its brain. Insects that have had their heads cut off have been seen to walk, mate and lay eggs.

3) The fastest insect flier is the sphinx moth, which has been clocked at over 50 kilometres per hour.

Source: Snedden, R (2007). Insect. London: Franklin Watts Australia.

For more fascinating facts, here are some recommended library books on insects:

my-bug-book.jpg
My bug book by Melissa Stewart
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Collins, c2008
Summary: “Fun and facts for children from one of the most trusted names in learning: the Smithsonian Institution”
Call No.: J P 595.7 STE -[BA]

dirty-rotten-bugs.jpg
Dirty rotten bugs? : arthropods unite to tell their side of the story by Gilles Bonotaux
Publisher: Minnetonka, Minn. : Two-Can, 2007
Summary: “Insects, arachnids, centipedes, and millipedes speak out against their reputation as dirty rotten bugs and explain why they deserve respect from humans.”
Call No.: J 595 BON

disgusting-bugs.jpg
Disgusting bugs by Connie Colwell Miller
Publisher: Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, c2007
Series Title: Blazers. That’s disgusting!
Call No.: J 595.7 MIL

bug-out.jpg
Bug out! : the world’s creepiest, crawliest critters by Ginjer L. Clarke; illustrated by Pete Mueller
Publisher: New York : Grosset & Dunlap, c2007
Summary: “Text and pictures present many strange facts about bugs.”
Call No.: J P 595.7 CLA

Not forgetting digital resources, you can also visit the following websites for more information about insects as well:

1) http://www.insects.org - “This site aims to help you really see insects for the miniature marvels they represent and to understand how intertwined our cultures have become with these alien creatures.”
Source: Sear, D Insects on the web. Retrieved May 13, 2008, from Insects on the web Web site: http://www.insects.org/

2) http://www.earthlife.net/insects/ - “There are well over 1 million different known species of insects in the world, and some experts estimate that there might be as many as 10 million.”
Source: (2008, May 7). The insects home page. Retrieved May 13, 2008, from Welcome to the world of wonderful insects Web site: http://www.earthlife.net/insects/

3) http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ - The National Geographic website for children.

All websites were last accessed on 2 June 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use. All book summaries were taken from the book descriptions. All images were extracted from www.amazon.com and www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Liz_ASK_Pic.JPGPosted by Ms Elizabeth Lee
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

Filed under ..Children, Pets & Animals Comments (0)
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May 28th, 2008

Do you want to meet the black and white giants?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

I was in Hong Kong last week and I visited the four giant pandas – AnAn, JiaJia, YingYing and LeLe at the Ocean Park. This was the first time that I had such a close encounter with these giant creatures. These “national treasures” of China attracted a lot of attention from the visitors. My friend, who called herself “Auntie Panda”, spent one hour observing and taking photographs of these four adorable pandas. We also learnt that the pandas spend at least 10 hours eating and they take naps in between their meals everyday.

2-pandas.jpg 
“Shhhh….YingYing and LeLe are taking a nap.”

Watch the giant pandas in action through the live web cams at the Ocean Park: www.now.com.hk/panda/

Unfortunately, some giant pandas in the Wolong Nature Reserve, one of the key panda reserves, were not so fortunate. The reserve is situated in Sichuan provincial capital, Chengdu, and not far from the epicentre of the earthquake on May 12. Although the pandas narrowly escaped death, they lost most of their homes and suffered serious shortage of food for days. Fortunately, food supplies for the pandas had reached the reserve since then and some of the cubs were taken to the Beijing Zoo due to safety reasons.

Find out more about the giant pandas:
- Giant Panda Profile: animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/giant-panda.html
- Giant Pandas: nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/
- Giant Pandas: www.panda.org/news_facts/education/middle_school/
species/herbivores/giant_panda/index.cfm
- Pandas recovering from quake trauma: news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/27/content_8264653.htm
- Pandas ’safe’ at park after quake: news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7397935.stm

Books for thoughts:
tracks-of-panda.jpg

Tracks of a panda by Nick Dowson
Publisher: London : Walker, 2007.
Call No.: JP 599.789 DOW

giant-panda_lev.jpg

Giant pandas by Michelle Levine
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Co., c2006
Call No.: JP 599.789 LEV

giant-panda_and.jpg

Giant pandas by Jill Anderson
Publisher: Minnetonka, Minn. : Northword, 2006.
Call No.: JP 599.789 AND

endang-pandas.jpg

Endangered pandas by John Crossingham & Bobbie Kalman
Publisher: New York, NY : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2005.
Call No.: J 599.789 CRO

You can check the availability of the above titles through our online catalogue.

All websites are last accessed on 28 May 2008. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use. 
All images were extracted from www.bn.com.

adeline.jpgPosted by Ms Adeline Tan
Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment

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5,425 views
March 27th, 2008

Do you know how many pets are abandoned in Singapore every year?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

Many people buy pets on impulse or as gifts for their children and friends. However, they do not realise the great responsibilities involved in taking good care of the animals. After the novelties of owning a cute furry animal wear off, some people will abandon their pets on the streets while others gave them up to animal welfare organisations.

The Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) reported that it took in 3,002 dogs, 4,716 cats and 1,314 domestic small animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, etc) in 2007, which add up to an alarming figure of 9,487 animals. Unfortunately, many animals that reach SPCA have to be put to sleep, as the shelter simply does not have the space to accommodate all the abandoned pets. Sadly, only about 2 lucky ones out of every 10 animals will have chance of being adopted by kind people.

If you are looking for a pet and you are committed to care of it for life, you can adopt one from animal welfare organisations such as the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Action for Singapore Dogs (ASD), Cat Welfare Society (CWS) and House Rabbits Society of Singapore (HRSS). You may have to pay a nominal fee but you are giving those lovely animals a second chance to have a home.

Just remember: “A pet is not a toy. Think before you get one”, a message from ASD.

Sources:
1. Potential Pet Owners. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore web site: http://www.ava.gov.sg/AnimalsPetSector/
ResponsiblePetOwnership/BeingResponsiblePetOwner/
PotentialPetOwners/index.htm
2. Don’t Dump Animals. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from the Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals web site: http://www.spca.org.sg/dump.html
3. Surrendering An Animal. Retrieved March 20, 2008, from the Singapore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals web site: http://www.spca.org.sg/surrendering.html

Books for thoughts:

little-dog.jpg

Little Dog by Lisa Jahn-Clough.
Publisher : Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2006. 
Call No.: JP JAH
Summary: Rosa was an artist. But all of her paintings were sad and gloomy until one day, a stray little dog wanders into her gallery, looking for someone to love.

dog.jpg

Dog by Daniel Pennac ; translated by Sarah Adams.
Publisher : London : Walker Books, 2002.
Call No.: J PEN
Nearly drowned at birth, left for dead in a garbage dump, and hounded by dog catchers. No question: Dog’s puppyhood is tough. Alone in the world, he decides it’s time to find himself an owner, someone he can love and, of course, train. But human beings can be fickle, unpredictable creatures, and who would take in an ugly, scruffy little stray like him?

patches.jpg

Patches and scratches by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Publisher : Tarrytown, N.Y. : Marshall Cavendish Children, c2007.
Call No.: JS NAY
Sarah prides herself on being an “idea” girl. In fact, she looks for problems just so that she can help to solve them. This time, she tries to help Peter find a pet that he and his grandmother will like. Can Sarah get Peter to accept the stray cat that happened to appear at his door?

homeless.jpg

Homeless by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Publisher : New York : Puffin Books, 2007.
Call No.: J AND
Sunita and her fellow volunteers at the Wild at Heart veterinary clinic put in a lot of efforts to save a group of feral and abandoned cats. After nursing the cats back to health, she wants to release the cats into the neighbourhood. But the neighbours consider those cats as dangerous pests. Will her plan backfire?

You can check the availability of the above titles through our online catalogue.

All images were extracted from www.bn.com.
Book summaries were taken from book descriptions listed on www.bn.com.

adeline.jpgPosted by Ms Adeline Tan
Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment

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February 26th, 2008

Goodbye to Ah Meng. But her efforts on conservation continue…

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

Ah Meng, the brightest star at the Singapore Zoo, passed away peacefully on 8 February 2008.  Many people, both young and old, bade their last goodbyes to Ah Meng at the memorial service held in the Singapore Zoo on Sunday, 10 February. Ah Meng had brought joy to many visitors, but she had also helped to raise awareness on the conservation of orang utans.

The orang utans are on the verge of extinction due to deforestation and poaching. As forests gave way to farming and logging, the orang utans lost their homes and source of food. On top of that, poachers killed the mother orang utans, snatched their babies and sold them as exotic pets to rich buyers. If deforestation and poaching do not stop,  the world’s largest natural orang-utan population may become extinct in 10 years.

Do you know? - Ah Meng was kept as a pet illegally for 11 years in Singapore until she was brought to the zoo in 1971.

Sources of information:

1) Passing of AH MENG (1960-2008). Retrieved February 25, 2008, from the Singapore Zoo web site: www.zoo.com.sg/ABOUT/NEWS/news08022008a.htm

2) Orangutans and the Rainforest. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from the Orangutan Conservancy web site: www.orangutan.com/orangutans_avoid_pets.html

3) One minute to midnight. Retrieved February 25, 2008, from the UN Works web site: www.un.org/works/environment/animalplanet/ orangatang.html

Read these books to find out more:

orangutan01.jpg

Watching orangutans in Asia by Deborah Underwood
Publisher : Oxford : Heinemann Library, 2006.
Call No. : JP 599.88 UND

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Orangutan baby by Monica Hughes
Publisher : Tunbridge Wells : Ticktock, 2006. 
Call No. : JP 428.6 HUG

orangutan03.jpg

Orangutans by Deborah Dennard
Publisher : Chanhassen, Minn.: NorthWord 2003. 
Call No. : J 599.88 DEN

orangutan04.jpg

Protect nature by Kay Barnham
Publisher : New York : Crabtree Pub. Co., c2008. 
Call No. : J 333.95 BAR

orangutan05.jpg 

The dodo is dead and other questions about extinct and endangered animals by Andrew Charman
Publisher : London : Kingfisher, c2007. 
Call No. : J 591.5 CHA

All websites were last accessed on 25 February 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All images were extracted from www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

adeline.jpgPosted by Ms Adeline Tan
Librarian
Children’s Services

Found this post interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.
If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment

Filed under Pets & Animals Comments (3)
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February 20th, 2008

Stinging rays, electric eels and killer sharks… Oh my!

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

I went swimming with sharks last Saturday.

No, I didn’t have a death wish. Neither did I go swimming with a bunch of poker players. It was me in a tank with a bunch of sea creatures that could potentially kill me, such as jellyfish, stingrays, electric eels, tiger sharks…

Okay, I exaggerate. It was not so much a great white shark out for my blood than a docile, seemingly harmless baby blue one (not a baby blue-colored one but an infant blue shark), lying on the sea bed minding its own business while I posed next to it like a silly tourist.

Later on, I discovered to my chagrin that the apprehension I was feeling the day before over my first attempt at scuba diving was for nothing, as the tank I was swimming in was one with relatively harmless sea creatures, while there was another tank around the corner that had the truly menacing denizens of the sea, the like of which included puffer fish, hammerhead sharks and sawfish.

How fast I could have become fish food had I been in the other tank! A sting from a jellyfish releases thousands of mini harpoon-like cells that act to stun or poison its victim, whereas eels have strong jaws with sharp, pointed teeth perfect for chomping their prey to pieces.

Click to enlargeThis fish was my favorite of the lot at the aquarium. You have to wonder - did chainsaw makers get their inspiration from this creature of the deep?

 (Picture source: Smithsonian Marine Station)

If you’d like to indulge in more gruesome reads of ferocious fishes, you may wish to check these resources out at your nearest library:

Terror under the sea by Clare Oliver
Publisher : Tunbridge Wells : Ticktock Media, 2006.
Call No. : J 591.7 OLI

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The truth about dangerous sea creatures by Mary M. Cerullo
Publisher : San Francisco : Chronicle Books, c2003.
Call No. : J 591.77 CER

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The moray eel by Miriam J. Gross
Publisher : New York, N.Y. : Rosen Pub. Group’s PowerKids Press, 2006.
Series Title Weird sea creatures
Call No. : J 597 GRO

stingray.jpg
The stingray by Miriam J. Gross
Publisher New York, N.Y. : PowerKids Press, c2006.
Series Title Weird sea creatures
Call No. : J 597.3 GRO

Amazing fish of the world by Maliniah Lasius
Publisher Selangor Darul Ehsan, [Malaysia] : Penerbit Pan Earth Sdn. Bhd., 2007.
Series Title Amazing animals of the world
Call No. : J 597 MAL

jellyfish.jpg
Jellyfish by David C. King
Publisher : New York : Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, c2004.
Call No. : J 593.5 KIN

ocean-wildlife.jpg
Ocean wildlife by Carole Garbuny Vogel
Publisher : New York : Franklin Watts, c2003.
Call No.: Y 591.77 VOG

All websites were last accessed on 20 February 2008. Please check the websites’ homepages for the terms and conditions of use.
All images were extracted from www.bn.com.

For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Galv.JPGPosted by Galvin Soh
Librarian
Children’s Services

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If you have a different question, please email to ask@nlb.gov.sg instead of sending a comment.

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February 9th, 2008

Do Cows Like Grass?

Kids ASK! about Pets & Animals

I remember being asked a long time ago what cows drink—the answer is of course water except the first thing that comes to mind is milk, which also not wrong because baby cows do drink milk. However, that was a trick question by a playful friend.

So what do cows eat?

Cows definitely eat grass but they do not just eat grass, they eat hay, corn, barley, cottonseed and combinations of field grasses. For domestic cows, these food items are mixed into a kind of food ration called “Total Mixed Ration” or TMR and forms the basis of the cows’ main diet.

Cows that are kept in farms are fed up to eight times a day and they have four components in their digestive system to help them digest the food that they eat. Because of this, some people say that a cow has four stomachs.

Source:
MooMilk.com. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from The Story of Milk Web site: http://www.moomilk.com/tour.htm

If you want to find out more information about cows, you can check out the following books

For Children:

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What happens at a dairy farm? by Kathleen Pohl
Publisher : Milwaukee, WI : Weekly Reader Early Learning Library, 2007
Call No. : JP English 637 POH

cow-2.jpg

Grass to milk by Julie Murray
Publisher : Edina, Minn. : ABDO Pub. Co., c2007
Call No. : JP English 637 MUR

cow-3.jpg

Cows and their calves by Margaret Hall
Publisher : Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press, Pebble Books, c2004
Call No. : JP English 636.2 HAL

All websites are last accessed on 9 February 2008. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
All images used are extracted from http://www.amazon.com and http://www.bn.com.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Originally answered by Kheak Hui Hiang, Librarian, Children’s Services

Felicia_ASK_w100.jpgContributed by Felicia Chan, Librarian, Children’s Services

Found this question interesting? What do you think? Post your comments.

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