Animal(s) of the Month

When you get your May issue of OWL (available at newsstands all over the place!), flip directly to page 17. It’s one of my favourite Animals of the Month ever: the lanternfly. It’s got a head like an unshelled peanut, and it’s also known as the peanut-head bug. I was so bummed when I found out that wasn’t its proper name. (FYI: though it’s called the lanternfly, it doesn’t light up at all. So, uh, why’s it called the lanternfly? Can’t someone just go back in time and name this thing the peanut-head bug for real?)

Under any name, the lanternfly is a perfect Animal of the Month because it’s fun, weird, and cool-looking. Hilarious facts, too. Here’s one that didn’t make it into the article:

One of the ways the lanternfly chases off predators is by drumming its hollow head against trees. Apparently, the loud noise scares them off.

Awesome!

What’s your fave Animal of the Month? Better yet, what’s your favourite animal? What are some of the neat facts about it? Post a comment at the bottom of this post or email me your picks.

And, before you go, check out this hilarious National Geographic clip from YouTube. It’s about goats that faint (I’m not joking!):

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_3Utmj4RPU&feature=related]

’Til next time!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com

April Fool’s Day

Happy April Fool’s Day everyone!

Did you play any pranks this morning? I woke up too late to try any of the ones from OWL’s April DIY story (though I at least wanted to cover the tops of some shampoo bottles with cellophane…). I’ve been on the alert all day, though, ready to find out my clocks have been set back an hour or something. Come to think of it, maybe I can do that to Mandy or Susan right now…

What’s the best prank you’ve ever played or had played on you? Post a comment at the bottom of this post and tell me all about it.

Finally, here’s a super-funny YouTube clip to help you get in the spirit of the day (not pranks so much as silly stunts, but still totally awesome). Check it out:

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84_QL1kEmH4]

Hilarious!

Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com

P.S. One final note on April Fool’s pranks. It looks like we “punk’d” ourselves over here at OWL and forgot to print an answer in the April issue. In “Weird Zone,” we challenged you to spot the fake fact, but we didn’t remember to tell you which one was fake. The answer: “An Apple a Day.” There is no Gran E. Smith, and, even if there is, she doesn’t live in Winnipeg. Sorry about that!