The Puzzle of the Platypus: And Other Explorations of Science in Action (Scientists Probe 11 Animal Mysteries)

Scientists probe eleven animal mysteries. Why do some parrots eat clay? Which elephants are the wisest? Is the platypus a bird, a mammal, or something else? In this collection of science articles from Highlights for Children magazine, teams of researchers travel the world to solve some of nature's most intriguing puzzles. One team uses a high-tech camera to find polar bear dens under the snows of Alaska. Another group teaches dolphins how to play a game in order to study their sonar. Still other teams spend years studying elephants, crows, wild horses, rattlesnakes, cliff swallows, and other animals. Full-color illustrations bring these fascinating animals to life, and Jack Myers, in his warm, personal style, re-creates the scientists' adventures in discovery. His stories are true cases of science in action the challenging and often creative process of revealing nature's secrets. He will start young readers thinking about the many secrets that still wait to be discovered . . . maybe by them.