Melissa Stewart - Nifty Noses Up Close

How Strong Is That Nose?

Did you know that an elephant can use its trunk to pick up tree branches? Or that polar bears have the best sense of smell of any animal on Earth? Learn all about how animals use their noses to hunt, breathe, and stay safe.

"Readers of all agesbut especially early readerswill find these fact-filled books fascinating!"

"From the end of the nose to the tip of the tail and many stops in between, this series introduces young readers to a variety of interesting details among a diversity of organisms."

About the Author

Trained as both a scientist and journalist, Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 100 books for young readers. While gathering information for her books, Melissa has explored tropical forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in Kenya and Tanzania, and swum with sea lions in the Galpagos Islands.

blowholes (BLOH holhz)The holes, or nostrils, on top of a whales head. Whales breathe through the holes.

breathe (BREETH)To take air in and let it out of the lungs.

nostrils (NAH struhlz)The two openings of the nose.

oxygen (AHK suh jen)A gas that has no color or smell. Living things need it to live.

tentacles (TEN tuh kuhlz)Thin, flexible structures that some animals use to feel.

Noses help animals in many ways. They smell and breathe and much, much more.

An anteaters nose can smell forty times better than your nose. Its perfect for tracking down ants and termites.

When an anteater chows down, it shuts its nose tight. That way insects cant crawl into its nostrils.

This whale has two nostrils on top of its head. They are called blowholes. They let the whale breathe without lifting its head out of the water.

A polar bear has the best sense of smell on Earth. It uses its nose to hunt. It can sniff a dead seal from 20 miles (32 kilometers) away.

An elephants trunk does more than just smell. It can grab food or rub an itchy eye. It can lift a branch or pick a flower. It can toot like a horn. And it can squirt water like a hose. What a nifty nose!

Each spring, these fish leave the ocean. They swim into rivers and streams. Then they mate and lay eggs in the same place where they hatched. How do the fish find just the right spot? They sniff it out.

This bats nose helps it hunt flying insects. Its nose sends out high, squeaky sounds. When the sounds hit an insect, they bounce back. The echoes tell the bat where the insect is.

Look at this moles nose! It has twenty-two pink tentacles. As the mole digs through the ground, its nose feels for worms and other food.

You are an animal, too. Your nose takes air inand lets it outabout seventeen thousand times a day. You use the oxygen in air to live, move, and grow.

Your nose tells you when cookies are baking. And it warns you when milk is sour.

Match the answer to the question. Each answer is used only once. Look at the pictures for clues. Write your answers on a piece of paper.