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lake A lake is an inland body of water surrounded by land. It is larger than a pool or pond. The name, however, is sometimes given to the widened parts of rivers and to bodies of water that are in direct connection with the sea. Coastal lakes, for example, are often formed where waves and shore currents build sandbars across bays or wide river mouths. A large river may build an arm of its delta outward in such a way as to enclose an area of water. Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana had this origin. All such coastal lakes are shallow.

lark The lark is primarily a bird of the Old World. Only one species, the horned lark, is native to North America. The meadowlark and the titlark, sometimes called pipit, are not true larks (see Pipit). All larks are mostly brown streaked with dark brown or black. The breast is buff, yellow, or white, with dark streaks. The outer tail feathers are white. The horned lark has two black tufts on the top of the head and black patches on head, cheeks, and throat. Throat and eyestreaks may be yellow. Larks nest on the ground in open fields and prairies. They rarely perch on trees. As they move over fields in search of grain and insects, they walk instead of hop. The male usually sings as he flys. The larks form the family Alaudidae. The skylark (Alauda arvensis) is widely distributed across Europe and Asia.

larva The word larva is applied to the young of certain animals that must undergo great physical changes before they become adults. A young frog hatches from the egg as a water-living tadpole and gradually becomes transformed into the air-breathing adult. A tadpole is therefore a larva. More than one larva are called larvae.

Many insects go through a larval stage. This is one way of meeting the difficulty all insects have in growing. The outer covering, or exoskeleton, of an adult insect is made of a tough substance called chitin that cannot stretch or grow bigger. The larvae of many insects, such as grasshoppers, have this skin and must shed, or molt, it several times while they are growing. Other insect larvae remain soft-skinned during the growing period, usually with altogether different shapes and habits from those they will have later on. Before they are ready for adult life, insect larvae pass through another stage, called the pupal stage, in which they get their more adult, hard outer skin. Insects that go through the four stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult are said to have complete metamorphosis. Many insect larvae have special names. The larvae of beetles are grubs; of flies, maggots; of butterflies and moths, caterpillars.

leaf . They are the dress of trees and other plants. They are far more important than mere dress, however. The foods by which the plant lives and grows are made in the leaves. All the food eaten by human beings and other animals can be traced back to plants and the green leaf. Even our bacon and eggs start with plants, for pigs and chickens live on plant food. Without green leaves there would be no animal life on Earth. Most leaves are broad and very thin, but they have many different shapes. The needles of the pine trees are leaves. The long ribbon streamers of the seaweeds, the fronds of ferns, the tiny hairs of mosses, the hollow traps in which the pitcher plant catches insects, and the climbing tendrils of the garden pea are also leaves. The leaves of water plants show many interesting differences from those of land plants

legume The more than 18,000 kinds of plants belonging to the pea family (Leguminosae) are known as legumes. The word legume means seed pod and refers to the case that encloses the seeds. The pods come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and textures and are sometimes used to distinguish between similar but different legumes. They are an important food source for humans (peas, beans, and peanuts) and livestock (alfalfa and clover). Legumes provide timber (black locust, rosewood), oils (soybeans), and dyes (indigo). Some are economic nuisances to farmers and ranchers.

The overwhelming majority of legume species occur in tropical and warm subtropical areas, but the family is found worldwide. Although most representatives occur naturally in warm parts of the world, most of the economically significant species are grown in temperate areas

lemur . Lemurs resemble monkeys and are the size of cats and squirrels. They have big eyes, foxlike faces, and nostrils like those of dogs. The name lemur comes from the Latin word lemures, meaning "ghosts." It was given to these animals because of the silent, ghostlike way they move about, mainly at night. The lemurs are classified as primates, the group that also includes monkeys, apes, and humans. Most of them have tails, but they cannot hang from trees by them as some monkeys can. The only true lemurs are those classified in one of the three genera and nine species of the family Lemuridae, but there are many similar species in other families. All of them are found only in the southern regions of the Old World Africa, India, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. The true lemurs, however, are found only on the island of Madagascar and the nearby Comoros. Lemurs eat leaves, fruits, insects, small reptiles, birds, and birds' eggs.

lettuce The world's most popular salad green is lettuce. It originated in western Asia and was popular with the ancient Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Lettuce grows best in temperate climates with an ample water supply. It grows quickly and must be cut for table use before it produces the long slender stalk upon which its small yellow flowers grow and produce seeds. There are five types of lettuce crisphead, butterhead, cos, leaf, and stem. Stem, or asparagus, lettuce is grown primarily in China for its tall, thick, edible stems. In Europe the cos and butterhead, or cabbage, types are more common. Lettuce belongs to the family Compositae. Its scientific name is Lactuca sativa.

liana A climbing plant.

lichen On places like tree trunks, rocks, old boards, and also on the ground grow strange splotches of various-colored plant life called lichens. They are of great scientific interest because they are not single plants; instead, each lichen is formed of a fungus and an alga living together so intimately as to seem a single plant. The lichens are one of the best illustrations of symbiosis, the intimate living together of two different kinds of organisms. The fungus makes the bulk of the body with its interwoven threads, and in the meshes of the threads live the algae. The special fungi that take part in this arrangement are almost never found growing separately, but the algae are found growing free. There are about 15,000 different kinds of lichens distributed worldwide. They are especially suited for growth in harsh regions, where few plants can survive. They grow farther north and south than most plants, as well as higher on mountains.

lily The white lily stands for purity. The bulb of a true lily is made up of loose scales that easily peel off. The bulbs never become completely dormant and must be kept moist in peat moss until they are planted. Professional breeders of lilies pull the bulbs apart and plant the scales. Each scale grows into a small bulb that in two or three years produces flowers. New varieties are created by shaking the pollen of one kind onto the stigma of another and planting the resulting seed. True lilies belong to the genus Lilium of the family Liliaceae. Several hundred species and thousands of varieties are known. They have six-part flowers (three petals and three sepals colored alike) and usually six stamens.

The family includes many food plants asparagus, onion, leek, garlic, and chives. Some of the flowers are the lily of the valley, mariposa, sego lily, tulip, hyacinth, and yucca, all members of different genera. The popular day lilies belong to the genus Hemerocallis. The plantain lily, or funkia, comprises the genus Hosta. Calla lilies belong to the unrelated Araceae family, of which Jack-in-the-pulpit is a member.

lizard (liz' ard) - n. any scaly reptile of the suborder Lacertilia (Sauria), order Squamata, typically having a long body and four legs, and the chameleon, iguana or gecko.

lobtailing Slapping the water with the flukes.

locomotion The act or power of moving from place to place.

locust The name locust is popularly given to two different kinds of insects the short-horned grasshopper and the cicada. Both kinds do great damage to trees and crops when they swarm in huge numbers. The locusts mentioned in the Bible are short-horned grasshoppers. They belong to the family Acrididae. The antennae are short and thick; their strong and long hind legs are used for jumping; and their hearing organs are located on each side of the first abdominal segment.

longitudinal Extending lengthwise.

lost years The lost years is a term commonly used to refer to the years between a turtle's hatching and its return to coastal waters as a juvenile. Although there have been sightings of hatchling-sized turtles adrift in sargassum and other sea grasses, no one has yet discovered where the majority of newly hatched turtles spend their childhood. It is not even known how long this period lasts, although estimates range from three to seven years

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BE AWARE. BE CONCERNED. SAVE THE ANIMALS. SAVE US. SAVE THE EARTH.

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Graphic images concept from Pia Belardo . Since 04.03.1996 Updated 10.30.2001
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