  Why do cats purr? Where does the
sound come from?
Lindsey Douglas
 Amazingly, nobody is really sure how cats are
able to purr, or why. Experts believe they purr by directing air over
a set of vestibular folds, or false vocal cords, in the larnyx. Many believe
that cats purr to express satisfaction, but they actually seem to purr
under a wide range of conditions, including illness and injury.
|
Quite frequently we hear coyotes, and occasionally we see them. How many
young does a coyote raise per year? What does a coyote’s diet contain?
Josephine Girod, 13
Like dogs, coyotes can have just a few or lots
of pups. Litter size usually ranges between two and 11 pups. In Missouri,
most coyote pups are born from mid April to early May. Pups are born blind
and helpless, but after about three weeks they are able to exit the den.
By fall, they are independent. Coyotes often eat rats, mice and rabbits,
but they’re opportunists and consume whatever food they can find.
They’ll eat grasshoppers, beetles, fruits and berries. Sometimes
they raid garbage cans, pet food bowls or corn fields. |
Does the Ichneumon wasp sting people?
Renata Franklin, 10
Despite its fierce appearance, the Ichneumon
wasp is harmless to people. In fact, it’s highly beneficial because
it preys on the larvae of destructive insects such as clinch bugs, boll
weevils, codling moths and asparagus beetles. |
Can I subscribe to Outside In? I
have a collection of them given to me by my teacher, but I would like
them to be delivered to my house.
Jeremy Smith
Outside In is published four times a year. It
isn’t mailed out separately, except to teachers for use in classrooms.
Instead, Outside In is included inside the February, May, August and November
issues of the Conservationist magazine. If your family receives the Conservationist,
you are already receiving all the issues of Outside In. You can even pull
this special section free from the rest of the magazine. |
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