Dawn Cusick

Discusses animal vomit and the many purposes it serves, including scaring and distracting predators, feeds family and neighbors, protects animals from poisoning, and aids with digestion.

Explores the different types of animal eggs, from insects to reptiles, fish, and birds, and describes how different adult animals care for their eggs and the strange places they place them.

Looks at the varied types of animal tongues and their different uses in adaptation to their environment, from the sticky tongue of a chameleon, to the tongue of the lizardfish lined with teeth, to the tongue of the parrot used to make sounds.

Meet Ham, Minnie, Enos, Roscoe, Tiger, and Rocky. When the United States was scrambling to catch up to the Soviets after their successful launch of Sputnik, they didn't turn to Mercury Seven astronauts Alan Shepard and John Glenn. Rather, they began bringing chimpanzees to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for a top-secret program. The goal? To do everything America needed to make space travel safe for humans and beat the Soviets. Based...

Hey! Look out! Sharp-eyed readers will need to keep their eyes peeled in this engaging look at how animals of all shapes and sizes blend in and survive in their native ecosystems. How do animals deal with danger? From crocodiles standing on their tails to great white sharks with their jaws wide open to well-camouflaged venomous snakes, prospective naturalists and conservationists will have a lot to look out for in this exploration of dynamic ecosystems...

Once a child is old enough to recognize the difference between a peacock and a frog, the idea of a peacock frog is funny and intriguing. Does it look like a peacock or a frog? Does it have a tail or a beak? And what about a skunk tiger beetle? Does it have stripes like a tiger? Or worse, stink like a skunk? Every page of Cool Animal Names invites laughter and discovery with 256 of the most bizarre animals on the planet. Discover weird animals such...

For more than forty-five years, the National Wildlife Federation has been dazzling families with amazing images and stories. Get ready for some supersonic fun that will make you say OUCH! Discover talon strength in birds of prey, sharp claws in lions and pumas, chewing mouthparts in insects, venom in snakes, and toxins in frogs. More? You want more? How about skunks that eat bees, stinging cells in jellyfish, meerkats that eat scorpions, caterpillars...

This book celebrates amazing animal surprises from all over the world with one-of-a-kind photographs from the NWF archives. "Cusick explores how gravity-defying flight, coiled and tubelike tongues, bite-proof armor and other surprising adaptations in animal bodies and behavior provide a competitive edge. This presentation of amazing animal facts is loosely organized into three sections: defense, foraging and anatomy. There's a short introduction...