Sunday, September 18, 2022

National Geographic Kids' How to Speak Animal by Aubre Andrus and Gabby Wild + 5 Winner Giveaway!

Welcome to the How to Speak Animal Blog Tour!

To celebrate the release of National Geographic Kids' How to Speak Animal on August 16th and World Animal Day on October 4th, this week blogs across the web will feature special excerpts from the book, sharing fascinating insight into the secret language of animals of all shapes and sizes. If you’ve ever wondered why ants touch antennae when they meet, what it means when a cichlid fish pees, or why turkeys gobble, this is the blog tour (and book!) for you!

How to Speak...ANT

Ants send messages via their antennae, which are two long feelers on top of their heads. That’s why ants often touch antennae when they meet. Their entire bodies, including their antennae, are covered with a scented waxy substance that tells them everything they need to know about each other. They learn information such as what that other ant’s rank is and what jobs it should be doing to help the colony. Some ants are workers that keep the colony clean and care for the young. Other soldier-like ants fight off intruders and move big objects. 

Communication keeps ant colonies organized. Ants release pheromones, the scented chemicals that send various messages. These messages can tell the other ants where to find food or warn that an intruder is nearby. Ants can leave pheromones behind them as they walk, which is why you’ll see ants marching in a perfect line. Ants “read” these chemical messages through their antennae.

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DR. WILD'S WORDS
Leaf-cutter ants communicate using two pheromones. They place these scents along branches and twigs to signal other ants to come help forage. These chemicals are produced in the poison gland and work best for long-distance communication. For shorter distances, the ants beckon their fellow worker ants using a type of stridulation, which is a form of vibration that alerts other workers where the best leaves are. These vibrations are made when the ants raise and lower their gasters (a part of their abdomen). In other words, this is like an ant booty shake.

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SAY WHAT?
The largest ant colony ever found was more than 3,700 miles (5,955 km) wide. Billions of Argentine ants from 33 different ant populations were living in it. This supercolony was uncovered by scientists along the Mediterranean coast of Europe in 2000. 


BuyGoodreads

Learn about the secret language of wild animals in this exciting and informative guide from the experts who brought you How to Speak Cat and How to Speak Dog.

We know animals can’t speak and express themselves in the same way as humans … but even the smallest and quietest animals have incredible ways of communicating with each other. With wildlife veterinarian expert Dr. Gabby Wild as a guide, How to Speak Animal helps kids understand how animals communicate through sound, body language, and behavior. It’s full of expert insights and real-life stories of humans exploring ways to “talk” to animals, from teaching great apes sign language to speaking “dolphin.” Packed with super-engaging animal photography that helps illustrate key concepts, this fascinating bookprofiles more than 60 different creatures―from birds to mammals to reptiles and more―and their amazing ways of communicating with each other.

If you’ve ever wondered why gorillas beat their chests and make hooting noises, what it means when chameleons change color, or why some elephants twist their trunks together, this is the book for you!

 

About the Authors

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DR. GABBY WILD earned her bachelor of science and doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM) degrees at Cornell University. She completed her veterinary internship training at Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital in Akron, Ohio, and received her master’s of public health (MPH) from the University of Minnesota. She is a published genetics researcher and uses her research background to screen zoonotic disease transmission among wildlife, domestic animals, and people. To help maintain a healthy planet, she monitors herd and individual health for rising epidemics. Dr. Wild balances her Western medicine practices with traditional Chinese medicine in an effort to blend both methodologies. Acclaimed for her role as “the veterinarian” on Animal Jam, the world’s largest online “playground,” with 54 million players, she creates educational videos and teaches children internationally about wildlife conservation and medicine. When not in the wild, Gabby works as a Wildlife Health Program veterinarian for the Wildlife Conservation Society at the Bronx Zoo and is a training veterinary surgeon at the Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island. She lives in New York City.

Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

AUBRE ANDRUS is an award-winning children's book author with dozens of books published by National Geographic, Lonely Planet, American Girl, Disney, Scholastic, and more. She has also ghostwritten books for young YouTube stars. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her family. 


GIVEAWAY

  • Five (5) winners will receive a copy of How to Speak Animal
  • US/Canada only
  • Ends 10/2 at 11:59pm ET
  • Enter via the Rafflecopter below
  • Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 


Blog Tour Schedule:

September 19th Susie's Reviews and Giveaways
September 20th Pragmatic Mom
September 21st Mom Read It
September 22nd Randomly Reading
September 23rd YA Book Nerd

13 comments:

  1. This National Geographic book sounds interesting. My daughter would love to read it for sure!

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  2. What a great prize. This would be so much fun to share with my littles. Thank you for the chance!!

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  3. HOW TO SPEAK ANIMAL would be a perfect book for my niece or nephew. Any book about animals and especially National Geographic they love. twinkle at optonline dot net

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  4. This looks like a wonderful book. My little ones love animals.

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  5. This sounds like a great book; I would love it for my kids! We love National Geographic Books.

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  6. These books look so adorable and I know the kids would love these thanks for the chance. Heather hgtempaddy

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  7. I love National Geographic and My family and my friends love it.

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  8. This sounds like a book that families can read and enjoy together. National Geographic Kid's book are fabulous!

    Nancy
    allibrary (at) aol (dot) com

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  9. sounds amazing!

    mia2009(at)comcast(dot)net

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  10. This would be such a great book for my granddaughter!

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