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Hitchhikers in the Bathroom
by Liana Mahoney
Imagine this. You step up to the sink, wet your toothbrush, and begin cleaning your pearly whites. Out of the corner of your eye, you see
something moving on the wall. Suddenly, you realize you’re not alone in the bathroom. Your heart pounding, you turn toward the tiny intruder to get a better look. You’re horrified to see that it has eight legs, and a pair of oversized pincers on its front end. Is it some kind of miniature octopus, or a bizarre crab? Is it going to sting you? Actually, it’s a bug, and it’s no more harmful to you than a housefly. This tiny bathroom bug is called a pseudoscorpion (SOO-doh-SCOR-peeuhn). But don’t be fooled by its name. It’s not really a scorpion; it’s just a relative. The pseudoscorpion is a kind of arachnid (uh-RAKnid), which means it is closely related to spiders, scorpions, and mites. Like scorpions, pseudoscorpions have a segmented body and two enormous pincers. But pseudoscorpions lack the curved stinger that all true scorpions have. Pseudoscorpions usually live outside in mulch,under tree bark, and in leaf litter. So how do they end up in the bathroom? They use those pincer-like claws to hitch a ride on other bugs,such as flies and beetles. When these insects come in, so do the pseudoscorpions - attached to their legs! These tiny arachnids prefer moist places. Since the bathroom tends to be humid after bathing and showering, it’s a likely place to find them.But they are easily overlooked. Most pseudoscorpions are only about two to eight millimeters long.
Pseudoscorpions don’t bite or sting humans, and they can even be helpful. These bugs feed on common household pests, such as carpet beetle larvae, ants, mites, and small flies. Welcoming this hitchhiker into your home may mean there are fewer household pests to “bug” you!
questions
1. If you wanted to find a pseudoscorpion outdoors,
where would you look?
2. draw a venndiagram to show how eudoscorpions and real scorpions are alike and how they are different..
3.How can pseudoscorpions be helpful to humans?
4. write one paragragh to show three reasons you liked the story
Spitting to Survive
by Liana Mahoney
Spit keeps our mouths moist and softens our food when we chew. Without spit in our mouths, we would have a hard time talking. We would find it even harder to swallow. But for some animals, spit works better after it has left the mouth. Some animals are experts at surviving because they are expert spitters.Llamas are animals often found in petting zoos and farms. These animals seem to like their personal space. A llama that feels threatened or annoyed will spit slimy gobs at you to get you to leave it alone.Sometimes llamas even spit on each other to steal food! This trick usually works, because llama spit includes food from the llama’s stomach, and it can be quite smelly. When a llama spits on another animal, the animal usually loses its appetite and walks away, leaving its food behind.The archer fish is a very skilled spitter. This fish is like a submarine with a loaded weapon. It takes aim and spits jets of water at insects and other small creatures to knock them into the water. Then it gulps them down quickly. To create such a forceful stream of water, an archer fish closes its gills, and uses its tongue to form a tube in its mouth. Then the fish sticks its snout out of the water and aims. Aim! Launch! Lunch! Spitting cobras are also known for their expert aim.These snakes spray poisonous venom from their fangs to protect themselves.Scientists believe that these snakes actually aim for the eyes! When the cobra’s venom gets into the eyes of an animal, the venom causes terrible pain, and even blindness. This gives the snake plenty of time to get away.
Spitting is considered to be rude behavior in people.But for some animals, spitting can be a smart way to get lunch –or a clever way to avoid becoming lunch!
questions:
1. List the three ways spit helps humans.
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2. Which animal creates a forceful stream of water to capture insects?
a. humans b. archer fish
c. spitting cobras d. llamas
3. Name two reasons a llama might choose to spit.
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4. How does a spitting cobra use its spit to protect itself?
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5. What is the author's purpose for writing this passage?
a. to tell funny stories about animals b. to teach the reader how animals survive
c. to express opinions about animals d. to show how animals are different