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A Prickly Camper

Posted on July 6, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

A Prickly Camper

We are meeting our first animal friend at Lake Salamander Camp E&E! She’s a prickly lady, but very friendly! Come meet the Penny, the North American Porcupine!

porcupinw

Porcupines can grow up to 3ft long and weigh up to 40lbs.
They are herbivores. They eat twigs, berries and roots.
North American porcupines can be found in Western Canada, the Western US to Northern Mexico.
Porcupines are excellent climbers.
North American porcupines have antibiotics in their skin that protects them from their own quills if they fall out of tree. They are the only porcupine that has this adaptation.
They have around 30,000 quills.

porcupine2

The quills are barbed and hollow.
They can not throw their quills- but they can be released.
Porcupines have a strong musky odor to help protect them from predators.
Their name means “quill pig” in Latin. They are not related to pigs though- they are rodents.
Porcupines are nocturnal.
Porcupines are good swimmers.
They are very vocals and make a variety of sounds.
When a baby porcupine is born their quills are soft & they harden after about an hour.

porcupine

Porcupines are funny creatures! We don’t recommend scaring one for sure! They like to be left alone and we like to be nice to them! Also- don’t share your sleeping bag with a porcupine! Hehehe!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Uncategorized, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, mammals, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

That’s Not My Horseshoe!

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

That’s Not My Horseshoe!

horseshoe crab

Every May and June when it’s a full moon, creatures from the ocean climb out of the waters and on to the beach to find a mate. Who are these creatures? Why it is the horseshoe crab campers! It’s the full moon in June, so we thought we might learn more about them!

Horseshoe crabs are found along the coast of the U.S. and along the Gulf coast.
They are carnivores. They eat worms, algae and mollusks.
Horseshoe crabs are listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN.
Horseshoe crabs and their relatives have been around for 450 million years ago .

They are not true crabs. They are related to spiders.
Horseshoe crabs have hard carapaces that cover their bodies.
Horseshoe crabs have six pair of legs.
They have one long tail to help right themselves if they are flipped upside down.

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Those eyes are extremely sensitive to light. They have the largest rods and cones of any animal on the planet.
Their mouths are located in the middle of their legs on the underside.

Horseshoe crabs have blue blood that is full of copper. Their blood is used to help with medical issues with human medical research. Who knew that these ocean dwellers were living fossils?

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Uncategorized, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, endangered species, environment, oceans, science, wildlife | 1 Comment

ENDANGERED SPECIES WEEK!

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

ENDANGERED SPECIES WEEK-

African Wild Dog!

We’re going to meet some endangered species this week as we get ready for Endangered Species Day! We’re kicking it off with the African Wild Dog!

wild dog

African Wild Dog Fun Facts:

African wild dogs live in sub-Saharan Africa on the savanna or in woodlands.
African wild dogs can grow up to 55 1/2 inches long and weigh up 74 lbs.
They are carnivores and hunt in groups to take down prey, including antelopes, wildebeest and birds.
African wild dogs are listed by the IUCN as endangered. They are losing their habitat and can get diseases from domestic dogs.
They roam large home territories of 600-900 square miles.
African wild dogs are highly social and live in packs.
A pack is dominated by a monogamous breeding pair of dogs.
They are also called the painted dog.

Each African Wild dog has its own unique coat coloration pattern.
Female African wild dogs can have up to 10 pups in a litter. Only the dominate female in a pack with give birth.
They are highly vocal and communicate sounds not heard in any other member of the canine family.
African Wild dogs are crepuscular. They are known to travel at night.
They are distance runners and can maintain a speed of 35 mph for up to 2 miles!

These awesome canines are so fascinating, from their funny feet to their complex social system the African Painted dog definitely deserved protection and respect. You can learn more on how to protect these wild canines at the African Wildlife Federation.

wild dog2

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Uncategorized, wildlife | Tags: adventure, conservation, education, endangered species, environment, nature, science, wildlife | 2 Comments

We’re chatting about chimps!

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

We’re chatting about chimps!

We’re continuing our APE-ril celebrations today with another great ape! We’re off to Africa again to find the Bonobo chimp. Once called the pygmy chimp, these relatives of the common chimpanzee do not get the press that their relatives do. They have some interesting differences! Let’s learn more about them!

Bonobos live in Central Africa in humid forests.
They are omnivores. Most of their diet is fruit, but they also eat bugs, eggs and honey.
Bonobos are listed by the IUCN as endangered.
Bonobos and their cousin the common chimpanzee are the closest living relative to humans on earth. They share about 98% of their DNA with humans.
Bonobos are highly intelligent. They are bonobos that have learned sign language and language using a board with symbols.
They are known to walk on two legs and can do so for farther distances than the common chimpanzee.

Bonobos are also known for their emotional expression and vocalizations.
They are highly social animals that bond with each other in their family groups.
Bonobos have red lips. This is one way to identify them from their cousins the chimpanzee.

Bonobos are amazing apes! They are fascinating! We highly recommend checking out the Bonobo Conservation Initiative and the writings Frans De Waal to learn more about these relatives of you human apes!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Uncategorized, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, children, conservation, education, environment, mammals, nature, science, wildlife | 1 Comment

DO A CHEER FOR POLAR BEARS!

Posted on February 27, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

DO A CHEER FOR POLAR BEARS!

Happy International Polar Bear Day! Edmond is doing a cheer for polar bears! Join him!

GIVE US A P!
P is Polar! Polar bears live in polar habitats near the arctic circle!

GIVE US AN O!
O is for one pound! Baby polar bears weigh around one pound when they are born. They are pink and about 12 inches long!

GIVE US A L!
L is for large! Polar bears are the largest land predator on earth!

GIVE US AN A! A is for excellent! Polar bears are excellent swimmers! They are classified as marine mammals because they spend so much time in the water.

GIVE US AN A!
A is for awesome mom! Polar bears are awesome mothers. They look after their cubs for two years!

GIVE US A R!
R is for reflect! Polar bear fur is translucent, not white! That fur reflects off the white snow giving them a white appearance!

GIVE US A B!!
B is for black! Polar bears have black skin to help them absorb the heat from the sun!

GIVE US AN E!
E is for evolved! Scientists think polar bears evolved from brown bears!

GIVE US A B!!
B is for black! Polar bears have black skin to help them absorb the heat from the sun! Their livers have 10 times more Vitamin A than any other animal on earth!

GIVE US A R!
R is for really fat! Polar bears have up to 4 inches of blubber to keep them warm in those cold arctic habitats!

We love our polar bear pals! These bears are losing their arctic habitats. We can help them by taking measures to use less energy at home, work or school by turning off those lights when you leave a room, unplug your laptop when you are done using it, ride your bike to work or carpool… All these help us keep our planet cleaner and safer!

A BARREL OF MONKEYS!

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Ellie and Edmond ©

A Barrel of Monkeys!

Ok, we don’t have an actual barrel of monkeys, but we have some marvelous monkey facts to share with you! We sure have enjoyed the Year of the Monkey!

Monkeys are classified into New World and Old World monkeys. New World monkeys live Central and South America. Old world monkeys live in Africa and Asia.
Monkeys vary in size and appearance. They are mostly arboreal, but some monkeys like baboons are terrestrial.
The smallest monkey in the world is the pygmy marmoset; they are around 6 inches long. The largest species is the mandrill; they weigh up to 120 lbs.

Only new world (and not all of them) have prehensile tails.
Japanese macaques live in most northern habitat of any monkey. These snow monkeys live in the mountains of Japan.

Monkeys have hands and feet that are built for gripping. They have opposable thumbs to help them grasp.
Colobus monkeys do not have opposable thumbs.

Monkeys are social animals. They live in troops or small family groups.
Monkeys use a variety of communication. They use facial expressions, vocalizations and body language.
They groom each other not only to keep their fur free of parasites, but as a bonding exercise.

Monkeys are amazing mammals. There are 260 species of monkeys in the world. They have some characteristics in common, but vary in habitats, diets and appearance. We love these primates!

KNOW YOUR REINDEER!

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Ellie and Edmond ©

KNOW YOUR REINDEER!

This reindeer is Bob! All reindeer have antlers, but males drop theirs in the winter. So Bob will drop these and regrow them in the spring. His antlers are covered in a soft material called velvet.

Reindeer have many different color variations. The ones that live closer to the arctic have white or light colored fur.

This is Sissy! Sissy and her reindeer friends have many different color variations. The ones that live closer to the arctic have white or light colored fur.

Reindeer feet have four toes; two in the front and two in the back. Their feet expand in the winter and act like a snowshoe. They shrink back to normal size in the summer.

This is Steve! Reindeer are also known as caribou. They

This is Steve! Steve is also known as caribou. He has a nose that is specialized to warm air before it enters his lungs!

This is Rhonda! Reindeer like Rhonda love reindeer moss! She is the only mammal in the world that can see ultraviolet light!

Some reindeer travel up to 3,000 miles a year during their annual migration. We love reindeer! They are sure are popular at this time of year! It must be because of those special species that fly!

World Wombat Day!

World Wombat Day!!

Come celebrate the wonderful wombat with us today! We love these marsupials from the land down under! Hopefully you will too after you learn some cool stuff about them!

Wombats live in Australia.

They are marsupials.
Wombat pouches face toward the rear instead of towards the mother’s head. This is to make sure the mother doesn’t get dirt in the pouch when digging burrows.
They live in burrows that they dig. Some species of wombats share their burrow and some live alone.
Wombats are herbivores; they eat grasses, roots and barks.

It can take up to 14 days for a wombat to digest its food.
Wombat teeth never start growing.
Wombats are nocturnal.

Wombats can run up to 25 mph.
A wombat’s bum is primarily made up of cartilage.
During the ice age, wombats were giant sized! They were the largest marsupial known to have ever lived.

WHOOOO’S HANGING AT CAMP?

WHOOOOOO’S HANGING AT CAMP?

We’re excited for everyone to meet this creature at camp tonight! If you heard the sounds from yesterday’s post- you would have heard this animal. The animals were crickets, bullfrog, coyote, cicada, bats and a horned owl. And we’re off to meet one of those horned owls.

MEET THE GREAT HORNED OWL!!

Fun Facts:

Great horned owls have feathery tufts on their heads.
They are the most abundant owl in the Americas.
Great horned owls have no sense of smell. They are one of the only predators of skunks!

Great horned owls are nocturnal.
Male great horned owls are smaller than the females.
Great horned owls form monogamous pairs.
Great horned owls have amazing calls!

Great horned owls are one of our most favorite owls! They have the best call ever! Every time we hear it, it gives us the chills and makes us want to tell spooky stories around the camp campfire! Do you know the one about the great ghost owl? We’ll be telling it tomorrow!

Answer: False

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, Environment, nature, science, Uncategorized, wildlife | Tags: adventure, animals, birds, children, conservation, education, environment, nature, science, wildlife | Leave a comment

CAMP AT NIGHT!

CAMP AT NIGHT!

We sure hope you’re enjoying camp! We’ve got a few more days to go! Sitting by the camp fire tonight we’re enjoying all the sounds you hear at camp! Often you can not see these animals but you can identify them by their sounds. We’re going to share a few with you and see if you can guess who the animals are?