Page 75 - World of Animals - Issue #31
P. 75
A to Z A t o Z
A to Z
A jubilee of eagles
Despite their collective noun, eagle family life is far
from jubilant. Females of many eagle species lay
K K
two eggs in their carefully constructed nests. Once
the eggs are hatched a fight to the death ensues
with the most dominant chick surviving. Females
are larger – sometimes up to a third bigger – and
J are usually the ones to survive.
A kaleidoscope of butterfl ies
Worldwide, there are around 20,000 species
of butterfly. They come in all shapes, sizes, and
colours of the rainbow. Butterflies use their
colourful wings to an advantage in a number of
ways, from sending warning signals and mimicking
poisonous insects, to blending into the background
and attracting a mate. The nanostructures of the
wings reflect light in different ways so they appear
to change colour, making many of them iridescent.
A knot of toads
A kettle of hawks
A
L L L L M M
A
A memory
of elephants
r
a
i
h
This term has been
T
m h
s b
n
s t
e
e
e
A loveliness of ladybirds of elephants
A loveliness of ladybirds
A
e
i
b
o
m
e
d
s a ‘
d a
r
n
e
d
described as a ‘modern
r
c
s
vintage’. The fascination
Everyone’s favourite beetle has or be granted a wish, whereas with elephant intelligence
a number of characteristics that killing a ladybird has the opposite and memory has only
are particularly lovely. In a number effect and could result in a spell been around for the last
of cultures they are considered of bad luck. This most likely has 200 years or so, and it’s
symbols of good luck. It’s said origins in farming and agriculture, only relatively recently
after passing a ladybird you may as the little beetles have a talent for we have discovered just
succeed in love, prosper financially, keeping crop-eating aphids at bay.
keeping crop-eating aphids at bay.
how clever elephants
really are.
A labour of moles
of iguanas
A mess of iguanas
A leap of leopards
A mischief of mice
of mice
A lounge of lizards
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