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Part 1
AMAZING ANIMAL FACTS
 The more you know about animals, their abilities, and their behavior, the more you’ll see how complex and amazing they are. Here are some fascinating facts about animals that may surprise you.
• Dolphins have been known to protect shipwreck survivors from drowning and sharks, sometimes keeping people afloat for many miles.
• Beavers live in complex societies with homes, lodges, and food storage.
• Musk oxen and cows form a protective circle around their calves when danger or rough weather threatens.
• Elephants have been known to enjoy painting or drawing, using paintbrushes or even twigs held in their trunks.
• Orangutans build overhead platforms in their “nests” to keep out the rain and use large leaves as umbrellas.
• A blackpoll warbler can fly all the way from Canada to South America and back, then return to the exact same nest.
• Male emperor penguins guard and incubate the females’ eggs for two continuous months, without food, in the perpetual Antarctic cold.
• “Electric” fish and eels communicate by transmitting electrical signals to one another.
Part 2
ANIMAL I.Q. TEST
Now, let’s put your animal I.Q. to the test. Read each statement below. Check “A” if you agree that the statement is true, “D” if you disagree, or “Not Sure” if you're not sure.
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Question
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A
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D
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Not Sure
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1. Whales’ communication powers are so strong that a whale in Antarctica can hear the calls of a whale in Alaska.
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2. Crows in the south of France have a different “accent” from crows in the north.
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3. If an injury forces a goose to leave the flock, others stay with the injured bird until he or she recovers or dies.
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4. Deer have been known to “guide” other deer who have gone blind.
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5. Elephants mourn their dead and can shed tears of grief.
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6. Black-tailed prairie dogs use “kisses” to identify members of their community.
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7. After a fight, chimpanzees sometimes comfort the loser by putting an arm around or grooming him or her.
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8. Some birds use mud and plants to set and heal broken bones.
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9. There have been thousands of cases in which dogs and pigs have saved children from danger.
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Part 3
ANIMAL PROJECT
Although we have yet to fully understand animal languages, we can imagine what animals might be thinking and feeling. Choose an animal and research his or her natural habitat. Then turn this sheet over and write a “letter to the editor” from the animal's point of view in response to a threat to his or her home.
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