Happy in the Heat T e sun is about to set in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. A scorpion scuttles across the sand looking for food. T e long shadow of a saguaro cactus provides some shade for it. A small face with big eyes peeks out


of the cactus. It’s an elf owl. T is tiny owl stands only 14 centimeters tall. T e owl watches the scorpion below.


T en it swoops down. It pounces, feet first. Gripping the scorpion in its talons, the owl snips off the stinger with its beak and swallows the scorpion whole.


Eye See You! All owls have big eyes. But compared to the rest of its body, an elf owl’s eyes are huge. A person’s eyes would be the size of grapefruits if they took up the same amount of space. When it comes to seeing in the dark,


bigger eyes are better. Bigger eyes have more surface area to collect light. Owl eyes are lined with rod cells. T ey help owls see in low light. Owl eyes also have a structure that


reflects light. It’s like a mirror. When light comes into the eye, it hits the rod cells. T e light also hits reflective cells and bounces around, hitting the rods again. T is gives an owl twice the seeing power. It brightens the night. With such great night vision, an elf


owl is quick to find and dine on moths, crickets, and beetles. Elf owls get the water they need from the prey they eat. Aſt er hunting, an elf owl returns to its nest.


6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


Many elf owls make their nests inside cacti. This also gives them a safe place to search for prey.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24