Strange but True

Shortly before hatching, baby ducks make peeping sounds inside their eggs, and mama ducks respond with soft clucking noises. Once the eggs hatch, the ducklings recognize mom’s voice and follow her calls to leave the nest.

Johnny May-appleseed? May apples are poisonous to people, but critters love to eat their fruits. In fact, May apples often spread to new areas when box turtles eat the fruits and poop out the seeds in a different location.

An eastern Hercules beetle changes color based on its environment. In a damp environment, the beetle’s hard outer shell is dark-colored, almost black. As it dries, the shell changes to tan or gray, and spots become visible.

Caviar or cavi-aren’t? Alligator gar eggs are extremely poisonous to most mammals, birds, and crayfish. Fish and some reptiles, however, find them quite tasty and eat them without harm.

A greater roadrunner charms his mate by bringing her a gift — just not flowers or chocolates. Instead, he snaps up a small lizard or snake and pounds it to a pulp against some rocks. Sometimes, love hurts.

Caterpillars have many ways to make would-be predators think twice about eating them. Some are covered in irritating hairs, some have bright colors to show they’re poisonous, and some wield spikes that sting. Earthworms, alas, have none of these.

Baby white-tailed deer don’t have strong odors that would attract predators. To keep from soiling fawns with their stronger scents, mama deer leave their babies tucked away in a safe location and visit them just a few times a day.