Page 7 - Kind News, May/June 2021

AMAZING WORLD
HUMANE HERO
CRITTER

PYROPHYTIC CLUES

PLANTS! 1 I like to sleep hunched up

in small places — in the wild,
I sleep in rock crevices to hide
from predators.

2 I don't sweat, so even as a pet
Think pyrophytic sounds like a super power? It is! Pyrophytic plants my home should be kept at
resist fire! And pyrophytic plants actually need fire for their seeds 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit.
to sprout. Trees such as pines have adapted to fire in order to thrive. 3 nstead of bathing in water,
I
Some pinecones need to get fiery hot to release their seeds. This special I take sand baths!
type of cone is called a serotinous cone. A serotinous cone is covered
with a layer of resin, a sticky, sap-like substance. The resin seals the 4 I can jump very high —
opposite page: redrover. this page, from top: thomas dutour/bigstock; alkir/bigstock.
seeds in the cone, like glue. The cone often only bursts open during sometimes more than six feet!
a forest fire when the heat melts the resin. 5 I am known for my soft, dense
fur — I have 60-90 hairs for
Fire gives pine trees three things they need to regenerate, one follicle — an area in my
or regrow:
skin where my hair grows from.
• Fire clears the forest canopy so sunlight can reach the
young seedlings. 6 Since I am a prey animal in
the wild, I startle easily. When
• It heats up the pinecones which releases the seeds from I am a pet, my home should
their cones. be quiet.
• Fire also clears the leaves on the forest floor. This process 7 I communicate with others
allows the seeds to absorb more minerals from the soil to of my species with high-
germinate, or begin to grow and develop. pitched grunts, chirps, and
hiccuping noises!

8 My teeth never stop growing,
Q: Which animals eat pinecones so I need to eat a lot of hay
as their main food source? to wear them down.

A: Red and grey squirrels, and What am I?
birds like quails, woodpeckers,
and turkeys

fun animal

videos made
by kids.

Ask an adult if you
can subscribe!

ANSWER: HE KEPT SAYING “BARK, BARK, BARK!” May/June 2021 | 7