First Children Encyclopedia

Caterpillars – and many

other insects – chew on

leaves. That’s their food.

Birds hunt caterpillars,

especially in spring when

they have chicks to feed.

Foxes prey on birds,

small mammals, and

other creatures.

Autumn colours

In the growing season,

deciduous leaves

appear green because

of a chemical called

chlorophyll. In autumn,

the leaves turn yellow,

brown, or red as the

chlorophyll is destroyed.

Making an entrance

Woodpeckers use their beaks to dig

out grubs and to make nest holes. They

have amazingly long tongues

to probe and seek out insects.

A squirrel’s tail helps it to balance as it leaps from tree to tree.

Deciduous forests

Leaves act like solar

panels to gather sunlight

to make food.

Links in a chain

Food chains connect a

species with what it eats.

Woodpeckers have thick skulls to

protect against the shock as they

hammer into wood.

Trees as homes

Woodpeckers take two to three

weeks to dig out a nest hole,

into which the female lays

several eggs. The hole is

usually in a dead tree.

Woodpecker

Maple leaf

When mature,

a fern bud

unrolls and

the leaflets

open out.

A leaf is a tree's food

factory. In autumn, it

begins to shut down.