Ask Me Everything3

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Seven noises In the night

Tarsiers are tiny primates, around the size of a human fist. Rival males trill like birds, while tarsier groups chirp together like crickets.

Baby opossums travel with their mother at night. If they get lost, they let out a sneezing sound to tell her where they are.

Hedgehogs communicate at night with grunts and snuffles. They may scream if they are threatened.

^ The spotted hyena’s

*    whoops, giggles, and cackles have earned it the nickname “laughing” hyena.

Many owls hoot to stay in

*    touch or to tell other owls to stay away, but some, such as screech and barn owls, screech or even scream.

^ Foxes cali out with a

*    hoarse-sounding bark as they move around their territory. They also ery, squeal, squeak, and purr.

Małe crickets chirp at night

*    to attract female mates— and to tell other males to stay out of their territory.

Big ears

The fennec fox’s outsize ears funnel sound from prey right into the eardrum.

Aye-sight

The aye-aye sees well in the dark—its huge eyes let in what little light there is.

V I ■ Find a wide open space to howl in.

A good howl can be heard morę than 6 miles (10 km) away.

Say it like it is. A deep, loud howl accompanied by a few barks will rally the pack. Longer howls warn other wolf packs to stay away.

i

Super sniffer

Pen-tailed tree shrews have an amazing sense of smell.

Good vibrations

The bird-eating spider’s leg hairs pick up vibrations in the air from other animals.

Whiskers

Like all cats, a tiger uses its whiskers to sense air currents and work out what’s near.

\JOw Face upward to carry your cries farther. Forget the myths—wolves don’t really howl at the Moon (though moonlit nights are good for hunting).

■ Pick a different notę from your pack. Singing in harmony makes it sound like there are morę of you. Altogether now: OWWWOOOHHH!

What goes bump in the night?

At sunset, most animals head for the safety of their den, burrow, or nest, but some are just getting started. Many of these “nocturnal” (nighttime) creatures are mammals. Their warm-blooded bodies and furry coats allow them to stay warm and active at night when temperatures fali.

(c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley. All Rights Reserved.

5 ft

(1.5 m) The wingspan of the largest bat, the giant golden-crowned flying fox

0.7 oz

(20 g) The weight of a smali marsupial called the pilbara ningaui (a little heavier than a CD)

18 in

(45 cm) The length of an aardvark’s tongue - perfect for slurping up termites and ants!

11,000 tons

The weight of insects eaten each year by a single roost of free-tailed bats