A Wonderleaf question
How do dung beetles steer by the stars?
a real page from the book
Dung beetles travel straight by using the night sky as a guide. After they start rolling their food ball, they compare the sky above them with a remembered pattern of light, then adjust their path when that pattern shifts, like keeping one faraway sign in view.
On moonless nights, some dung beetles can use the pale band of the Milky Way instead of a single bright point. That means a tiny insect, walking backward over sand with its treasure, can steer by the glow of our galaxy.
Wonder words
- compass
- galaxy
- navigate
- pattern
Try it out
At dusk, choose a lamp or star, walk across the yard while keeping it at one shoulder, and see how straight you go.
Read the whole picture book
Watercolour scenes, straight answers, about three minutes cover to cover.
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One more wonder: Why is space so dark?
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