 Are raccoons and skunks part of
the cat family?
Casey, 9
 Raccoons and skunks are not in the same family
as cats. Cats belong to the family Felidae, hence the name "feline."
Raccoons are in the family Procyonidae. Skunks are in the family Mephitidae.
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Do spiders have a sense of smell?
Logan, 13
Spiders do have a sense of smell, although most
spiders use it more to find mates than for hunting. Female web-building
spiders emit odors into the air or coat their webs with them. When a male
locates a female, he will destroy her web so that it won't attract
competing males. Female ground spiders may coat a kind of dragline with
odor that males can use to locate them. |
Why are zebra mussels so dangerous?
Paunee, 13.
" Dangerous" probably isn't the
best word to describe zebra mussels because zebra mussels don't
directly harm other animals. Zebra mussels, however, can multiply so quickly
in a lake or river that they use up all the available food and habitat,
making it impossible for native mussels to live there. Zebra mussels also
build up in water intakes and discharges making it difficult for water
to flow through. This can disrupt the operation of factories, water treatment
plants and power plants. |
Does a wasp die after it stings
you? Why?
Beverly, 11.
A wasp's stinger is smooth and it can
sting you many times. A honeybee's stinger has barbs on it. When
it stings a person or an animal, the barbs usually prevent the stinger
from pulling out. Instead, the stinger is ripped from the bee's
abdomen, which results in the bee's death. |
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