Page 92 - World of Animals - Issue #36

Animal

answers

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Why do
some insects have
feathery antennae?
Feathery antennae are one of the main
distinguishing features between moths and

butterflies. But it’s not just moths that are in
possession of these extravagant appendages;
many other insects have feathery feelers
too. Antennae are mainly used as chemical

receptors so the insect can sniff out the
pheromones of a female over great distances.
If you were to zoom in on these feathery
Who are the structures, you would see they are covered
in thousands of minute branches of hair, with
International some species boasting as many as 60,000
‘feathers’. These all act as part of the moth’s
Whaling olfactory system. In short, the more feathery
the antennae, the greater the surface area.
Commission, and This allows the antennae to come into contact
with the largest volume of air possible,
granting a greater sense of smell.
what do they do?
Some species have
thousands of tiny hairs
The International Whaling Commission (IWC), is an whaling. However, as they are a voluntary organisation, covering their antennae
international voluntary organisation. Their goal is to their guidelines are not legally enforceable and member
“provide for the proper conservation of whale stocks countries are free to leave at any time. Most famously
and thus make possible the orderly development of the IWC imposed a moratorium on whaling, banning all
the whaling industry”. There are currently 88 countries commercial capture and killing, but since the 1986 ban
signed up to the IWC. The organisation reviews the state Iceland and Norway have carried on regardless and Japan
of the ocean’s whale population and governs worldwide continues under the guise of scientific research.

Which houseplants are
most poisonous to cats?
A lot of people worry about keeping damage. For dogs, the outcome is less
poinsettias in their house when they severe but can result in some serious
have pets, and while it is true they can gastrointestinal discomfort. So to
cause some discomfort to your pet, avoid any catastrophes, make sure to
they are unlikely to be harmful. Lilies, watch out for flowers from the Lilium

however, are another story. These or Hemerocallis species. If you do have
are some of the most popular plants pets it’s definitely worth checking which

in bouquets, but, unlike poinsettia, plants can cause harm to your furry
contact can be fatal. For cats, just a companion before making a purchase,
bite or two of some leaves, or even as there are more than 700 plants
some pollen groomed from the coat containing toxins that may be harmful to
can result in kidney failure and liver both cats and dogs.

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