Reader’s Digest Australia & New Zealand – May 2019

50 | May• 2019

BUMBLEBEES

SIXTHSENSE

Abumblebeegeneratesapositive

electricalchargeasitflapsitswings

andtransferssomeofthechargetoa

flowerwhenit lands.Thankstoa 2013

studyinthejournalScience, experts

nowknowthatwhenbeesdetect

a changeina f lower’scharge,they

avoidtheflower,sensingthatanother

beehasrecentlyremoveditspollen.

PEREGRINEFALCONS

LIGHTNINGSPEED

Moveover,cheetahs.Peregrinefal-

conshavebeenclockedatspeedsof

626.8km/h,makingtheblackand

greybirdsthefastestmembersof

theanimalkingdom.Divingtowards

prey,peregrinestucktheirwings

intotheirbodies,creatinganaero-

dynamicteardropshapeperfectfor

quicklystrikingunassuming birds

and small mammals.

SLOTHS

SURVIVEDEADLYWOUNDS

Three-toedslothsmaynotmovevery

fast,buttheirspeedyrecoveryfrom

woundsthatwouldkillotherani-

malshavemadethemthefocusof

scientificresearch.

Some experts believe that the

scoresofbeneficialbacteriathatlive

ina sloth’sfurhelpthemhealunusu-

allyquicklyandwithout infection.

REINDEERS

SUPERVISION

Reindeershavea uniqueabilityto

seeultravioletlightwhichallows

themtoforagebetterforfoodand

avoidpredatorsintheharshArctic

landscape.

Theirprimarywinterfoodsource,

lichens, and the fur of their main

predator, thewolf, both absorb U V

light,so theystandout against the

UV-reflecting snow.

Amazing Animal

SUPER

POWERS

ANIMAL KINGDOM

PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES