These feet may not be your idea of beautiful,
but their avian owners think they fit the bill.
Read the clues
That tell how they are used.
Then figure out whose is whose.
1. As this tall bird slowly wades, it uses its feet to stir up the water, flushing out fish.2. This diving bird’s webbed feet assist it in swimming, and their bright color attracts mates.3. This fowl’s feet distribute its weight like snowshoes, allowing it to walk on floating vegetation.Wood Stork, Mycteria americanaRed-footed Booby on Nest, Sula sulaPurple Gallinule, Porphyrio martinicus
Author taking photos on Playa Las Bachas, Santa Cruz Island
The Galapagos Islands are home to such bizarre beasts that they seem to have escaped from a Pixar movie. On a recent trip to this volcanic archipelago, my husband and I walked and snorkeled among its quirky creatures, who were unfazed and unflustered by our curiosity . . . and our cameras.
Here’s a selection of some of the dazzling characters we encountered.
Blue-footed Booby and Napping NestilingsMale Great Frigatebird Displaying Gular Sac to Attract a MateMarine Iguana Crawling from the SeaNazca Boobies Performing Bill Clacking Mating RitualFlycatcher Checking Out Concave Lens as Possible Nesting CavityA Curious Sea Lion Investigates Our GuideA Flaming Orange Flamingo
When it comes to the Galapagos inhabitants, it’s hard to tell fact from fiction!
See how YOU do in detecting the truth on the quiz below.
Directions:
1. Select the letter of each true statement below.
2. Put the letters (in order) into the blanks.
3. The completed word is the animal whom the islands are named after.
(This animal’s Spanish name is “galapagos.”)
4. Click on the link at the bottom to check your answer.
______ O _____ T ______ I ______ ______
1. RED-FOOTED BOOBY
Red-footed Booby on NestRed-footed Booby Feet
I catch fish by plunging head-first into the water. For protection I
Always wear a helmet. <S>
Have air sacs in my skull to soften the blow. <T>
2. MARINE IGUANA
Marine Iguana: A Godzilla Look-alikeMarine Iguana Sunning Near Surf
When I build up too much salt in my body from snacking on seaweed, I
Judith Jango-Cohen 