conservation

The Parrot with a Crown!

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

The Parrot with a Crown!

We met a feathered friend in the outback! This shy green bird is not always easy to spot, but we were lucky!

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Date: 2/25

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Princess Parrot Fun Facts:

  • Princess parrots were named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark.
  • They are quiet colorful, with bluish heads, pink throats and blue tails.
  • Males have longer tails and brighter colors than females.

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  • They make loud calls.
  • Princes parrots are known to live around 30 years.

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We were so excited to find a few of these chatty little birds! They tend to gather in a group for mating and then disappear again!

Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello Wallaby!

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Wallaby!

We met one of the cutest inhabitants of the desert today! These hopping marsupials are so fun! Let’s learn more about the Brush-tailed rock wallaby!

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Date: 4/24

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Fun Facts:

  • Brush-tailed Rock Wallabies have rough padded feet to help them get around the rocky terrain.
  • They live in groups where each animal has their own territory. One male’s territory overlaps several female’s territory.
  • Brush-tailed rock wallabies are crepuscular (active at dawn & dusk).

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  • Those long tails help them balance on the rocky habitats.
  • They find shelter in caves or rocky crevices.

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Rock wallaby’s are just the cutest! They are threatened due to habitat lose and the introduction of the non-native red fox. Ecosystems are very delicate and invasive species can quickly destroy it.

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Monitoring a Monitor!

Posted on April 19, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Monitoring a Monitor!

We went looking for a medium sized reptile today! We found this gorgeous animal and it was so fun to watch!

sand monitor

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Date: 4/19

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Sand Goanna Fun Facts:

  • Sand goannas are members of the monitor family.

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  • Sand goannas are burrows. They dig burrows for shelter.
  • They are diurnal (active during the day).
  • They have forked tongues to help them “smell” the air.
  • Sand goannas sense of smell is so good they can find buried prey.
  • Sand goannas lay their eggs in a termite mound. The termites keep the eggs warm.

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These monitors are so cool to watch! Other members of the monitor family include the famous Komodo dragon!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, nature, reptiles, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello Dingo!

Posted on April 18, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Dingo!

We met one of Australia’s most iconic animals- the dingo! These canines are really neat and we so enjoyed watching the ones we spotted!

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Date: 4/18

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Dingo Fun Facts:

  • Dingoes are descendants of the Asian dingo. They are thought to have been introduced to Australia 3,000-4,000 years ago.
  • They can be solitary or found in packs.
  • Dingoes are the largest predator in Australia.
  • Dingoes in the desert are reddish-brown in color and are smaller than their cousin.

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  • Dingoes have excellent vision and can turn their heads about 180 degrees.
  • They have flexible wrist that gives them the ability to climb.
  • Dingoes do not bark, but they yodel/howl.

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Dingoes are quiet intelligent and often they are not loved by livestock farmers. They are predators you know! We think they are just the coolest!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Holy Marsupial Moley!

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Holy Marsupial Moley!

We’re back from spring break! Woohoo! We headed back to our camp at the edge of the desert and went exploring in the evening! We didn’t spot our animal today, but we did spot it’s track moving under the sand! The Southern Marsupial Mole is one neat and crazy animal!

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Date: 4/17

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Southern Marsupial Mole:

  • Southern Marsupial moles have hard horny covering over their noses.
  • They have large claws for digging.
  • Its neck bones are fused together to protect it. 
  • They do not have working eyes, as they spend most of their time underground in the dark.
  • Southern Marsupial Moles are not related to other moles.
  • They do not dig permanent tunnels- just travel right under the sand surface. It is similar to “swimming” in sand.
  • Its silky fur keeps sand off of it. 

 

We had fun watching these little mysterious creatures under the sand. Can you imagine not having eyes because you live in darkness and they are not really useful?

Categories: adventure, Animals, Atlanta, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Spring Break

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Spring Break!

We’re off to the beach for the week! But make sure to check out our social media this week as we have some great animal friends who are taking over! Woohoo!

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Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, entertainment, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Give That Frog a Glass of Water

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Give That Frog a Glass of Water

We had no internet yesterday! Darn-it! Well we spent that extra time looking for an unusual amphibian who calls the desert home! The water holding frog is soooo cool!

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Date: 4/7

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Water Holding Frog Fun Facts:

  • They have webbed toes.
  • Water holding frogs live underground.

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  • When they bury themselves, they cocoon themselves in a mucus to protect themselves.
  • Water holding frogs eat that mucus when they emerge from their dormant state.
  • Water holding frogs can hold water in their bladder and send it back to their mouths to drink. They can also store in pockets under their skin!
  • They come out of their sandy burrows to mate during rainy season.

Woohoo! Animals have the neatest adaptation ever! Even if they seem kind of gross! Hehehehe!

Categories: adventure, amphibians, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tiny Marsupial

Posted on April 5, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Tiny Marsupial

Well it doesn’t get much cuter than today’s animal! These tiny marsupials look like rodents, but they are not!

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Date : 4/5

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Sandhill Dunnart Fun Facts:

  • They are one of the largest members of the Dunnart family.
  • Sandhill dunnart have stiff black hairs on the underside of the tail.
  • These little marsupials are carnivores!
  • Their tails are longer then their bodies.

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  • They live in burrows under the spinifex hummocks shrubs.
  • Sandhill dunnarts store fat in their tails.

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These little marsupials are threatened unfortunately. There are efforts in Australian zoos to increase their numbers! Woohoo!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, marsupial, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Skink not a Skunk!

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

A Skink not a Skunk!

After we settled in at camp we decided where we should go on our first adventure! We wanted to meet a neat little lizard we knew lived in this habitat! We headed off for the day with our day packs full of snacks and MUD SPF 30 sunscreen!

great desert skink

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Date: 4/3

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Great Desert Skink Fun Facts:

  • Great desert skinks vary in color from tan to grey or dark brown.
  • They store fat in their tales during the winter.
  • Males are slightly larger than females.
  • Great desert skinks live in complex burrows with several entrances and areas.

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  • A family group occupies the burrow. Babies stay with their family for up to three years.
  • They generally hunt at night in the hotter months.

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We had such fun going to look for these little short legged lizards! They remind us of another Australian skink- the blue tongued skink! They are both so cool! And they aren’t slimy at all- very smooth!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, reptiles, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Desert Down Under

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Desert Down Under

We have backed our bags again and headed off to the great island nation of Australia! It is a long way from HQs. We unpacked at camp just at the edge of the Great Victorian Desert. After getting over our jet lag. We set out to learn more about this vast and interesting habitat!

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Great Victorian Desert Fun Facts:

  • It is the largest desert in Australia.  It’s about 135,000 square miles.
  • It is located in the Southwest of Australia.
  • Temps can range from 104 degree Fahrenheit in summer to 64 in the winter.
  • The Mamungari Conservation Park lies within the Great Victorian Desert.

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  • Only very hard plants survive in the desert, but there is a great variety of plants.
  • There is quiet a variety of animals in the desert that are adapted to live in the harsh environment!

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We are super excited to meet some of the inhabitants of this great desert! We’ll be meeting an interesting lizard tomorrow! See you then!

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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