endangered species

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!

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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!

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Civet Civet

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Civet Civet!

We spent the last nights of our adventure here in Madagascar looking for some really neat nocturnal animals! (And for those who asked- we are working on a glossary.)  We found the first of our discoveries on the forest floor looking for eats. This strange animal is so cool! We could hardly contain our excitement when we spotted it!

malagasy civet

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Date: 3/29

Location: Madagascar forest

Malagasy Civet Fun Facts:

  • Malagasy civets are shy animals.
  • They can be territorial. They scent mark their territories.
  • Malagasy civets are very vocal. They make a series of noises including grunts.
  • They spend their days asleep in trees and crevices.

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  • They are related to mongooses and fossa.
  • Malagasy civets are the second largest natural predator on Madagascar- the fossa is the largest.

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We love these unusual little animals. They remind of us a raccoon and a fox put together! What do you think?

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Aye-Aye Captain!

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Aye-Aye Captain!

We slept all day after looking for frogs the night before! Our next adventure was at night too. We went looking for a shy and elusive primate that doesn’t look like a primate at all!

aye aye

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Date: 3/14

Location:  Madagascar

Aye-Aye Fun Facts:

  • Aye-aye’s are the largest nocturnal primate in the world.
  • They are members of the prosimian family, which includes lemurs.
  • They have one long stick like finger they use to grab grubs out of trees. They also use it to tap on trees and listen for bug tunnels!
  • Aye-aye’s are arboreal and rarely if never come to the ground.

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  • Aye-aye’s have long bushy tails to help them navigate their tree homes. In fact they have the longest tail of any prosimian!
  • They sleep during the day in nests of twigs. They rotate nests.
  • Aye-aye’s are solitary. They mark their territory with scent glands in their faces, necks and bums.

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These wild and weird animals are alien looking! When scientists first discovered them they thought they were rodents! Nope- they are primates- related to apes, monkeys and lemurs. Who knew? The world’s rainforests are full such amazing creatures!

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

Don’t Eat That Tomato

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Don’t Eat That Tomato

We went exploring in the forest last night. We were looking for a brightly colored frog. It’s been a while since we went on the hunt for amphibians, so it was a treat to find these guys. They weren’t hard to find, since it’s still frog breeding season and these little chippers are loud!

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Date: 3/13

Location: Madagascar

Tomato Frog Fun Facts:

  • Tomato frogs are bright orange or red.
  • They are brightly colored to warn predators that they are toxic. They secrete a white substance that acts like a glue.
  • Tomato frogs can also inflate when threatened.
  • They are ambush predators.

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  • Tomato frog tadpoles are only 6 millimeters long when born!
  • Tomato frogs can live up to 8 years.

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Tomato frogs are near threatened due to habitat loss and collection of frogs for the pet trade. While frogs make neat pets, it is best to get one from a breeder. Taking animals from the wild damages delicate ecosystems. Keep these tomatoes in the forest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Is That a Cat?

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Is That a Cat?

We were so excited to meet today’s animal. We have seen this animal in zoos, but spotting this carnivore on Madagascar was a joy! We were jumping for joy- quietly of course!

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Date: 3/8

Location: Madagascar

Fossa Fun Facts:

  • Fossas are solitary.
  • Fossas are related to mongooses and civets.
  • They are the largest predator on the island of Madagascar.
  • Fossas are excellent climbers and spent a great deal of time in the trees.

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  • Fossas use scent glands to mark their territory.
  • They have retractable claws.
  • Fossas have lost much of their forest home.

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It was great treat to spot this elusive and shy creature. They are gorgeous, stealthy and agile! Woohoo! We love fossas!

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

Fat Tails

Posted on March 7, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Fat Tails

We spent our first night on the island exploring a forest near by. We managed to spot one of the smallest lemur species- the Fat Tailed Dwarf Lemur! Edmond could hardly contain his excitement, good thing I kept him quiet because he would have scared them away.

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Date: 3/6

Location: Madagascar

Fat Tailed Lemur Fun Facts:

  • Fat tailed lemurs are solitary during the wet season.
  • Fat tailed lemurs are nocturnal.
  • They mark their territories by leaving feces on branches.

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  • During the fall, fat tail lemurs gorge themselves and store fat in their tails. They can increase their weight by 40%.
  • During winter fat tailed lemurs enter a state of torpor- when their metabolisms slow down, their body temperatures drop and they are much less active.
  • Fat tailed lemurs can live up to 6 months in torpor.
  • They often share a den in a hollowed out tree with other fat tailed lemurs during the dry season when they are in torpor.

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We were so glad we caught a glimpse of these shy little lemurs. It’s just time for them to find a good napping spot for the dry season. Yaaaawn, speaking of naps- we need one after staying up all night.

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

A Large Island Off The Coast Of Africa

Posted on March 6, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

A Large Island Off The Coast Of Africa

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We’re back from our vacation and we’re packed up and heading to the large island nation off the east coast of Africa- Madagascar. We are so excited to explore this neat island!

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We have some fun facts about Madagascar for you!

  • Madagascar is the only home to lemurs. In fact 70% of the wildlife species in Madagascar are only found there.
  • It is the fourth largest island on earth.
  • Two-thirds of all the chameleon species on earth call Madagascar home.
  • The island is one of the biggest producers of vanilla.
  • It has everything from mountains to coasts.
  • Madagascar split from the Indian sub-continent around 88 million years ago.
  • There are two official languages in Madagascar- French & Malagasy.

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We can hardly wait to explore the habitats of this large island. We plan to meet the island’s most famous residents- the lemur; along with reptiles and other interesting characters like the fossa! We’ll see you tomorrow with our newest animal friend!

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