Gotta Have Heart
Since it’s Valentine’s Day, we thought we would share some fun facts about animal hearts!
science
Gotta Have Heart
Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife
Tags: animals, children, conservatoin, education, environment, nature, nature blogs, science, wildlife
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Hello Antelope!
Hello Antelope!
So nice to start off the week off enjoying the herds of animals on the plains! We took particular interest in the common eland. These large antelopes are graceful!
Date: 2/13
Location: Serengeti
Common Eland Fun Facts:
- The common eland is the second largest antelope in the world. The giant eland is the biggest.
- Eland is Dutch for Elk.
- A male’s horns are thicker and shorter. They use their horns to compete for females during mating season.
- Females use their horns for defense.
- While they are not the fastest antelope, they can run long distances at slower speeds. They can also jump up to 8 ft.
- Common elands are crepuscular.
- They make a clicking sound when walking or running. This is unusual for antelopes.
We loved watching these large and graceful animals. Often when you think of antelopes, you think of Thompson Gazelles. But these gentle giants and their tapping toes are super neat!
Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife
Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, nature blogs, science, wildlife
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Ellie and Edmond Valentine’s
Ellie and Edmond Valentine’s
We made our annual Valentine’s for you to print and share! Save the photos to make cards or signs or to decorate a Valentine mailbox! Let your imagination go wild!
And if you are in the mood to send your sweetie something extra special-click on
Edmond’s Valentine Video and share the link with all your pals!
Pinkies!
Pinkies!
We’re back- after having an internet issue out here in the Serengeti, we got our signal back. We headed off to meet some bright pink birds! Flamingos are always one of our favorites!
Date: 2/9
Location: Serengeti
Lesser Flamingo Fun Facts:
- Lesser flamingos have black edges on their wings.
- They have deep red bills and crimson legs.
- Flamingos have no sense of smell.
- Lesser flamingos are famous for their group mating dances. These can include a few bird or up to several hundred.
- Male and females incubate the egg.
- Lesser flamingos travel around lakes to find food.
We had fun watching these fabulous flamingos dance around and eat. We love long legged birds and flamingos fit the bill. Hehehe!
Categories: adventure, Animals, birds, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife
Tags: adventure, birds, children, conservation, educatioin, envrionment, nature, nature blogs, science, wildlife
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Dogs in Africa
Dogs in Africa
We spent our day watching a pack of wild dogs. These amazing canines are so fascinating. Let’s learn more about them!
Date: 2/7
Location: Serengeti
African Wild Dog Fun Facts:
- African wild dogs’ name in Latin means painted wolf.
- They are highly social. They live in a pack with a dominate breeding pair.
- African wild dogs hunt in packs.
- They can reach speeds of up to 35 mph. They generally can not outrun a prey animals, but instead can wear it out.
- Females are the ones who leave the pack when they are mature adults.
- The entire pack eats together with no show of aggression to each other.
- The pack also helps raise the pups.
These gorgeous canines need a large territory. Unfortunately as their habitat disappears, so do the dogs. Many zoos in the US are working with partners in Africa to make sure these dogs are around for future generations.
Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife
Tags: animals, blogs, children, conservation, education, endangered species, envrionment, mammals, nature, wildlife
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We’re Monitoring a Monitor
We’re Monitoring a Monitor
We’re spent our day looking for a large lizard that calls the Serengeti home. The monitor family includes the famous Komodo dragon! The lizard we were searching for does not get to be as big as a komodo, but they are just as cool!
Date: 2/6
Location: Serengeti
Nile Monitor Fun Facts:
- Nile monitor lizards are known by many names including the African small grain lizard.
- Nile monitor lizards have long sharp claws for climbing, digging and ripping apart prey.
- They have a range of colors from olive to to brown.
- Nile monitors are the largest lizard in Africa.
- They have a stout strong tail to help ward off predators.
- Those forked tongues give the Nile monitor a keen sense of smell.
- They are known to hunt cooperatively. One monitor will lead a crocodile away from the nest, while another eats the eggs.
- Nile monitors are excellent swimmers and will take to water to escape a predator.
We watched a monitor for quiet a while. These amazing lizards are intimidating to see in the wild. They are often kept as pets. As with all exotic pets, it is important to do your homework before getting a pet that will grow large and possibly unruly. There are now populations of Nile monitors in California and Florida. These lizards can be harmful to the local wildlife.
Categories: adventure, africa, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, reptiles, science, Today's Post, wildlife
Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, education blog, envrionment, nature, reptiles, science, wildlife
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Spots! Spots Everywhere!
Spots! Spots Everywhere!
After spending our first night and day adjusting, we stayed up in to the wee hours of the night to go exploring for some spotted hyenas! These social mammals are mostly nocturnal, so it was best to try and spot them at night. One of our guides is even teaching us and Professor Rita, Swahili! She’ll be sharing some of the vocabulary with you each day!
Date: 2/2
Location: Serengeti plain
Spotted Hyena Fun Facts
- Spotted hyenas are the largest species of hyena.
- They live in large clans that are led by the dominant females. The females are larger then the males.
- Their have very complex social structures that look more like that of primates then of any other carnivore.
- Hyenas are intelligent and resourceful predators and scavengers.
- They can digest every part of prey- including skin and bone!
- Hyena have stout forelimbs and shoulders. They can run for long distances without getting tired.
- Their large strong heads can produce a bite more than 40% stronger than that of a leopard.
- Hyenas are very vocal and use a rang of sounds, including the famous “laughing” sound. That “laugh” is a signal of agitation or aggression.
These marvelous animals can out hunt lions and chase them away from a kill. They are one of the most successful predators in the Serengeti. They have earned a bad reputation over years- one that is not deserved. These intelligent amazing animals have much to teach us. Remember, even the predators of the plains deserve our love and respect (from a distance of course :)!
Categories: adventure, africa, Animals, Children, conservation, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife
Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife
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Welcome to the Serengeti
Welcome to the Serengeti
Whew! After heading back to HQs at the University, we unloaded all our ocean adventurer stuff and began packing for a three weeks in the Serengeti. We need rain gear as the wet season is just beginning and warm weather gear for the days and sweaters for the cool nights. Many think these dry plains are always hot, but it can get quiet cold at night. We packed our trunks – the box ones- not Ellie’s and we head all the way Africa!
We arrived at camp- it is lovely. We have a nice tent/cabin and great rangers to help us find the animals we are looking for this trip! We learned more about this magical place. The Serengeti is home to many species, including Ellie’s wild cousins- the African Elephant! There are many more fun facts about the Serengeti! Let’s learn more before we meet our first official animal tomorrow!
- The Serengeti is not just flat savannas. It has hills, mountains, volcanic craters and forests.
- The Serengeti National Park sits in Tanzania and Kenya. The park was originally established in the 1920s.
- The Maasai tribe of people are probably one of the areas most famous group of people! They are known for their cattle.
- There is one active volcano in the Serengeti- Ol Doinyo Lengai.
- Many people know of the annual migration of wildebeest, zebras and antelopes. There are over a million animals that travel miles and miles to get to areas where fresh are.
- Many animals call the Serengeti home, including antelope, buffalo, leopard, elephants, baboons, giraffes, wild dogs and many many more.
- Some of the oldest human ancestors were found here- including Lucy, one of the most famous fossils ever found.
We’re super excited to meet the animals of the amazing habitat! We’ll see you tomorrow to meet an amazing predator!
Categories: adventure, africa, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife
Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife
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It’s a Ray! It’s a Bat Ray!
It’s a Ray! It’s a Bat Ray!
We wrapped up our last day on the west coast diving and we found this amazing ray. Rays are such graceful and neat fish and we were super excited to meet the bat ray!
Date: 1/26
Location: Kelp forest
Bat Ray Fun Facts:
- Bat rays belong in the eagle ray family.
- They use their pectoral fins to swim and to stir-up sand and reveal prey.
- When these rays “dig” out holes from the sand, they leave holes that other fish, like the horn shark use to hide in.
- Bat rays have strong crushing plates that they use to crush hard shells.
- Bat rays give live birth. The pups have the venomous spine, but it is soft and covered in a sheath to protect the mother.
- Bat rays have spiracles that move water over their gills when they are resting on the ocean floor.
- Bat rays are mostly solitary.
Wow! We so enjoyed watching the rays swim so gracefully in the waters just off the coast! We couldn’t have picked a better last day! We did miss many animals though; that just means we’ll have to come back! For now, we’ll head back to our HQs at the University and get our things back for the Serengeti! That’s right, we’re going to Africa and back to Ellie’s home! We are so excited!!!
Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, Environment, fish, nature, science, Today's Post, Uncategorized
Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, fish, nature, science, sharks, wildlife
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Walking a Shark
Walking a Shark!
We are enjoying our last few days here in the kelp forest. After early morning smoothies (at 4am) we boarded the SS Ellie and Edmond and headed out for one last dive. We were hoping to find a little shark who is super neat!
Date: 1/25
Location: Kelp forest
Horn Shark Fun Facts:
- Horn sharks have blunt snouts.
- They have a sharp spine on each dorsal fin that helps protect them from predators.
- Horn sharks are nocturnal and solitary.
- Horn sharks stay in a small home territory.
- Female horn sharks lay cone shape eggs they wedge in between rocks.
- Young sharks live in the kelp forests in rock crevices or holes made by bat rays.
- They use their strong jaws to suck in prey. They then crush the outer shells and eat the meat inside.
We had such a great time on our dive. Luckily we spotted another elasmobranch on our trip and we’ll tell you more about them tomorrow!
Today’s Post
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 