mammals

SCIENCE WORD OF THE WEEK!

Welcome to this week’s class everyone! We’ve got an exciting week planned here at the University! Today we’re kicking off Lemur Week! Are you ready to learn today’s word?

Today’s word is Prosimian: prosimians are a type of primate, the name means pre-monkey. These primates usually have long wet snouts, whiskers and large eyes and ears. Prosimians include lemurs, bush babies and loris.

Ellie and Edmond will be meeting some types of prosimians this week!

HORSES AND BATS!

We’re off to meet a bat who has horseshoe in its name! We wonder if they make them? Edmond can always use a new pair! Grab those night vision goggles and let’s head off on today’s adventure.

MEET THE LESSER HORSESHOE BAT!

• Lesser horseshoe bats live in Europe and Northern Africa.

• Lesser Horseshoe bats are one of the smallest bats in the world.
• They have a horseshoe shaped nose.
• Lesser horseshoe bats are insectivores.
• Lesser horseshoe bats live in colonies.

• Lesser horseshoe bats are smaller than a human thumb.
• They hibernate underground in the winter.
• Lesser horseshoe bats usually fly close to the ground.
• They are listed as common by the IUCN.

These tiny little flying mammals are ugly and cute and the same time. Bats come in all shapes and sizes and they are all beneficial! Bats rock!

INTERNATIONAL SNOW LEOPARD DAY!

Woohoo! We’re heading to the chilly mountains of Asia to meet one of the more gorgeous and elusive big cats on earth! Happy International Snow Leopard Day! We’re going to celebrate with some fun facts about these neat cats!

• Snow leopards live in the mountains of Central Asia.

• They have some of thickest fur of any animal on earth, up to 5 inches thick.
• Snow leopards can jump up to 50 feet in on leap.
• Snow leopards are carnivores, they eat blue sheep and small mammals.
• Their long tails can grow up to 36 inches, almost as long as their bodies. Their tails help the snow leopard with balance and warmth.

• Snow leopards are endangered.
• Snow leopards are known to be shy and solitary.
• Their feet are built like snow shoes.

INTERNATIONAL SLOTH DAY!

• Sloths sleep up to 20 hours a day.
• Sloths live in the rainforests of South and Central America.

• Sloths are related to armadillos and anteaters.
• Sloths have algae that grow on their fur; it helps them camouflage in the trees.
• There are two main species- two toed and three toed sloths.

• They are herbivores, eating leaves, shoots and fruit.
• Sloths only go on the ground about once a week and they do that to poop and pee. This keeps their scent away from their tree top homes.

• Giant sloths roamed the earth during the time of woolly mammoths, around 11,000 years ago.

• Sloths are great swimmers!
• Sloths have a four chambered stomach.
• Baby sloths cling to their mothers in their first weeks of life.

Check out the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica for more information about these amazing animals and how you can help!

We’re Seeing Red!

Fall has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere and that means many animals are starting to hoard or cache food for the winter! Today we are heading to Europe to meet a small rodent who hoards food for the winter! Let’s go meet the red squirrel!

Range/Habitat: Northern Europe- Asia

Diet: Omnivore: seeds, nuts, fungus and bird eggs
Length/Weight: 5-8 inches/ 9-12 oz
Conservation Status: least concern

Fun Facts:

• Red squirrels coloration depends on where they are located. They can go from red to black.
• Red squirrels can swim.
• They are crepuscular.
• Red squirrels molt their fur generally twice a year. 
• Red squirrels do not hibernate.
• They store caches of food for when supplies might be low in the winter. What seed caches are forgotten help plant new trees.
• Red squirrels are more arboreal.
• They spend most of their waking days foraging for food.

GREAT PROSIMIANS!!

Who’s ready to meet an amazing primate- a prosimian!  Well, they are primates, but they don’t have all the adaptations that monkeys and apes do! Prosimians include, lemurs and aye-ayes! Are you ready to meet this furry primate?

MEET THE BROWN GREATER GALAGO!

Range/Habitat: Central-Southern Africa/woodlands

Diet: Omnivore: fruit, tree sap, insects

Length/Weight: 10-16”/2 ¼-4 ½ lbs

Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

• Brown Greater Galagos are the largest of the galago family.
• Brown Greater galagos are also known as Thick-tailed Bush babies.
• They are called bush babies because of their childlike cries.
• They are nocturnal (active at night) and have large eyes and ears that help them navigate and find food in the dark.
• Brown Greater galagos are arboreal (spend most of their time in trees).
• Brown Greater galagos have strong feet with pads to help them climb and jump.
• They have brownish-grey fur.

Wow, these little primates have perfect adaptations for a life in the trees! But you won’t see one unless you are willing to head into the woods at night. Is anyone up for a nighttime adventure? Bring your night vision goggles and let’s go!

INTERNATIONAL RED PANDA DAY!!!

Who loves Red Pandas? We love Red Pandas! And today on International Red Panda Day we’re celebrating the original panda! That’s right folks, red pandas were discovered and named panda before the Giant Panda was discovered!

• Red pandas are classified in their own families, but are related to raccoons. 
• They are nocturnal.
• They live in mountainous forests in parts of Southeast Asia.

• Red pandas are arboreal.
• They are solitary.
• Red pandas are also called The Fire Fox or the Red Cat Bear.

• Red pandas eat bamboo, grass, fruit and eggs.
• They have very thick fur and very bushy tails to keep them warm.
• Red pandas have a psuedo thumb that helps them grasp bamboo.

These adorable little red pandas are endangered, mainly due to habitat loss. There is a great organization working very hard to protect our favorite red pals! The Red Panda Network celebrates Red Panda Day, conserves forests and educates people about the fire fox!