(Encyclopedia) blowfly, name for flies of the family Calliphoridae. Blowflies are about the same size as, and resemble, the housefly; because they are usually metallic blue or green they are also…
AztecHuitzilopochtli was the god of the sun and of war. He was the patron god of the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlán, where Mexico City now stands. The Aztecs built a great temple there in his honor…
AMPHIBIAWET FROGFROGSPAWNFIND OUT MOREAmphibians generally start life in water, but later change so that they can live on land. Most return to the water to mate. The life cycle involves…
PHYLUM: CRUSTACEAFIND OUT MORECrustaceans have a hard, jointed external skeleton, called an exoskeleton, that protects them like armour. They have five pairs of jointed legs, and in some…
(Encyclopedia) Ringling Brothers, seven brothers, sons of German-born August Rüngeling, who established an American circus empire. Albert C. (1852–1916), Otto (1858–1911), Alfred T. (1861–1919),…
(Encyclopedia) sea spider, common name for members of the class Pycnogonida, long-legged, rather spiderlike organisms of the subphylum Chelicerata, widely distributed in marine waters. Most are tiny…
(Encyclopedia) oilbird, common name for an owllike, cave-dwelling bird, Steatornis caripensis, belonging to the family Steatornithidae. It spends its days in dark caves, maneuvering by means of a…
(Encyclopedia) gall, abnormal growth, or hypertrophy, of plant tissue produced by chemical or mechanical (e.g., the rubbing together of two branches) irritants or hormones. Chemical irritants are…
(Encyclopedia) snapping turtle, large, aggressive New World freshwater turtle. The two snapping turtle species are the sole members of the family Chelydridae. Snapping turtles prefer quiet, muddy…
