Discussion Questions

11. Circular things in the x-ray are the turtle’s eggs. There are 11 of them in the picture.

12. Armadillos use their feet for digging for grubs and other insects. They also build burrows to hide from predators. A shelter and pantry all in one? Yes, please!

13. Yes, the golf ball looks different. Since it’s solid rubber inside it looks white on the x-ray. The hardest and densest part of the egg, however, is the shell. Inside has fluid to nourish the embryo.

14. Some rails can fly a little, but most are flightless.

15. Owls wings are much larger and the bones are thicker.

The owl’s feet are called claws - they are meant to grab prey. Rail’s feet are thin and very long - they help it not sink into the soft clay and mud. Both the owl and rail have 4 toes.

Screech owl’s eyes are about the same size as their beak and brain! Did you know that you can see the owl’s eye tubes through their ear canal?

16. Opossums have 5 toes on each foot, just like you and me! The first toe on the hind feet is opposable, clawless, and thumb-like. These "thumbs" help the opossum grasp branches when it climbs.

Armadillos have 4 toes on the front, and 5 in the back. The three middle toes on their back feed are fused together, almost like a clawed hoof.

21. Though armadillos are warm blooded, they don’t have much insulation like fat or hair. In the winter they are awake and searching for food when it’s warmer. During summers in Southern USA it usually reaches over 95*, so armadillos take a siesta during the hottest hours of the day and search for food when it is cooler at night and crawly insects are at their most active.

Gray foxes need a lot of food. Night time offers them protection from daytime predators, like humans and domestic dogs, and since they climb trees they can sneak up on diurnal animals.

35. Lizard’s feet are covered in microscopic fibers (kind of like hair) increasing contact with the walls, ceilings, glass, etc. These fibres actually have a chemical reaction with the surface they climb on, creating a Van der Waals force.

Dead trees provide food and shelter to many animals, fungi and plants.

40. Just like bird’s wings and feet, beaks are also created for different purposes. Cardinal’s beak is chunky and robust to crack seed and small nuts. Eastern phoebe is in the same family as a kingfisher and catches lots of small insects. Hummingbird has a long beak and tongue that drinks nectar from the flowers almost like a straw.

Phoebe’s wings are short for precise flight to catch insects in open areas and over water. Hummingbird’s wings are like little propellers allowing it to hover in mid-air. Cardinal’s wings allow them to have longer flight and to avoid hitting branches.

44. Can you think of any creatures with whom you have a symbiotic relationship?