Page 19 - (DK) Danger! Open with Extreme Caution!
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7. Common brushtail possum 8. White-bellied pangolin 9. Skunk 10. Spectacled bear
Possums are cat-size Rows of overlapping At dusk, skunks leave their This South American bear is
marsupials that feed at night scales—a bit like human shared dens to forage in named for the cream-colored
on insects, fruit, spiders, tree fingernails—cover this the forests for food. They rings around its eyes. During
nectar, and seeds. Although mammal’s body. At night, sniff around for a trace of food the day, spectacled bears
many are quiet, the common it sniffs out termite and ant and then dig up a meal of sleep in “tree houses,” which
brushtail possum makes nests, rips into them with mice, rats, fallen birds’ eggs, they build by placing a row
an unpleasant hissing call. its sharp claws, and licks insects, and fruit and nuts. of sticks high up in the
Some possums carry bovine up the insects with its sticky Skunks may roll caterpillars treetops. At night, they use
tuberculosis, which can damage tongue, swallowing them whole. on the ground to remove their these platforms to reach
a cow’s lungs and lead to death. If attacked, it rolls into a ball. hairs before eating them. fruit and leaves.
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS 19
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