By Alexa, age 10 Have you ever noticed that most people don't like spiders? Spiders are actually very important because they control the insect population. Most people know the basic facts. Spiders are not insects but are arachnids. They have…
Category: Biology
Save the conch!
By Erika, age 13 You've probably seen those big, beautiful white and beige shells with pink insides in a gift shop by the beach. Have you ever wondered about the creatures that lived inside the shells? What were they? How…
Goblin Sharks
by Alexa (age 9, @KNEstemGirls) The goblin shark is a rare and unusual looking species of deep-sea shark. It is sometimes called a "living fossil" because it is the only living representative of the family Mitsukurinidae, a lineage about 125…
What Eats the Portuguese Man of War? The Glaucus Atlanticus
by Alexa (age 9, @KNEstemGirls) One of the most interesting and pretty creatures of the sea is the Glaucus Atlanticus, also known as sea swallow, blue angel, blue glaucus, and blue dragon (can you guess what color it is?). It…
Read More What Eats the Portuguese Man of War? The Glaucus Atlanticus
Manta Rays (aka Flattened Sharks)
by Erika (age12, @KNEstemGirls) Manta rays are known as the Gentle Giants of the Sea and are the flat cousins of sharks. Both are in the Elasmobranchii subclass and are cartilaginous fishes. People fear sharks, but not manta rays. Why?…
How to Get a Pet Tardigrade
by Alexa (age 9, @KNEstemGirls) Have you ever seen or heard of a tardigrade? They're super cool! These microscopic critters (also known as water bears or moss piglets) are the toughest creatures on earth. These extremophiles* can survive temperatures down…
Axolotls
by Alexa (age 9, @KNEstemGirls) What do you know about the crazy creatures, the Mexican axolotls? Even as adults, these creatures keep their tadpole-like fin and external gills on top of their head, known as neoteny. Mexican axolotls can even regenerate…
Why you shouldn’t be afraid of sharks
by Erika (age 12, @KNEstemGirls) Sharks are some of people's worst nightmares because "Jaws" and "Sharknado" represent the shark as the hungry man-killing beast, but that is nothing like its true nature. For those of you afraid of sharks, there is…
In praise of leeches?
by Alexa (age 9, @KNEstemGirls) Have you seen a leech before? They're super cool! Leeches are worm-like animals. Their nearest relatives are earthworms. Most people think that leeches are like monsters because they suck blood, but they are very useful to humans.…
The Conservators’ Center (Caswell County, NC)
As we entered the secured, gated area, we could hear a loud rumbling "Aaroo! Aaroo!" in the distance. Our guide, John David, explained that we were hearing the roar of a male lion! This was our introduction to the carnivorous…
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