Posts Tagged With: education blog

Where Will The Next E&E Adventure Be?

Where Will The Next E&E Adventure Be?

We are ready for April’s travels- are you? Can you guess where we are going from the clues?

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  • We are going to a country that lays on the south end of a continent.
  • There are savannas, oceans, mountain, desserts and beach habitats.
  • The oldest meteor site in the world is here.
  • It is home to some of the oldest human ancestor and mammal fossils in the world.
  • The national animals is the springbok.

Where will our next adventure be?

 

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

Hellooooo Panda!

Hellooooo Panda!

We are meeting our last animal here in China- probably the most iconic one. The Giant Panda is close to our heart. These funny bears call just a few zoos home and we have been lucky enough to have a pair and their offspring right down the road from HQs at Zoo Atlanta. Let’s learn more about these national symbols of China.

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Giant Panda Fun Facts: 

  • Giant pandas live in bamboo forests in the mountains of China.
  • That bamboo makes up 99% of their diet. That’s right, these carnivores eat a mostly herbivore diet, with the occasional fish or protein.
  • Because bamboo is not very nutritional, pandas can eat 20-40 pounds a day.
  • They have an elongated wrist bone called a pseudo-thumb (fake thumb), that helps them hold bamboo.
  • Pandas grow up to 5 feet long and can weigh up to 100 lbs.
  • Females give birth to little pink cubs whose eyes and ears are closed when they are born.
  • Those cubs stay with their mom for about a year and a half.
  • Pandas are excellent climbers.
  • Fossils of giant pandas ancestors have been found that are 1-2 million years old.
  • They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

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These funny bears are one of our favorites. Their unusual markings make them a favorite with many people! They have a big fan club! One of our favorite comics is all about pandas- it’s called Your Brain On Pandas! Check it out!

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

The Original Panda

The Original Panda

We are meeting the original panda today! That’s right- the red panda was “discovered” 50 years before the giant panda. These two pandas are not related. The red panda is related to the raccoon and giant pandas are bears. It was thought that they were related for many years as they live in similar habitats and both eat bamboo.

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Red Panda Fun Facts: 

  • Red pandas can grow up to 26 inches long and weigh up to 20 pounds. Their tales can be up to 20 inches long.
  • Those tails have white rings on them.
  • These arboreal animals are mostly nocturnal.
  • Red pandas have a pseudo thumb (an elongated wrist bone) that helps them grip bamboo. These herbivores eat other things too including; eggs, fruits and nuts.
  • They are solitary animals.
  • Red pandas come together during mating season. Red panda cubs stay with their moms for about a year.
  • They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

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We love the red panda. We know they have many fans out there too. Unfornately they are endangered due to habitat loss. You can learn more on how to protect them from the Red Panda Network. 

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

A Dragon in the Water

A Dragon in the Water

We are off to meet a little reptile who is called a dragon! They don’t look like dragons, but they are neat!

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Chinese Water Dragon Fun Facts: 

  • Chinese water dragons grow to around 3 ft long. Their tail is about 2/3 of their body length.
  • Those tails can aide in balance, swimming and protecting themselves from predators.
  • Males are slightly larger and have larger crests on their heads.
  • The crests under their throats can be all kinds of colors, including purple, peach and blue.
  • These arboreal lizards are diurnal.
  • They are omnivores that eat insects, small fish and some vegetation.

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We love spotting small animals as much as we love seeing the big, famous ones. For habitats and ecosystems to be healthy, all the animals that live there must have healthy populations.

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

Happy Frogs!

Happy Frogs!

It’s World Frog Day and we are so happy to share some amazing amphibians we met at The Ampbian Foundation right down the road from headquarters! This amazing organization is working to protect frogs and other amphibians and reptiles from around the world! We met some amazing frogs the day we visited, including the gopher frog who the foundation raises and reintroduces in to the wild. Make sure you check out The Amphibian Foundations website & help them out! We’re all here for the frogs!

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Good luck in the wild gopher frog!

 

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

Watch Out for Flying Frogs

Watch Out for Flying Frogs

We headed off to meet an adorable amphibian today! They may be known to fly. We wonder if they wear capes? Hehehe! Let’s find out.

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Chinese Flying Frog Fun Facts: 

  • These little 4 inch frogs call tropical and subtropical forests their homes.
  • They are arboreal.
  • They are also called Chinese Gliding Frogs.
  • They have webbing between their toes. That webbing allows them to glide from tree branch to tree branch.
  • They can glide up to 50 feet.
  • Females create foam nests for their eggs and attach to those on leaves above water.
  • They are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.

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We enjoyed spotting this little frog with the funny little feet! It makes us want to go hang gliding!

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

One Neat Monkey

One Neat Monkey

Our first day here in China we head to the mountainous forests in the Southwest of the country to meet a really neat monkey! We’re not sure we’d call them cute, but they are awesome! Come meet the Golden snub-nosed monkey with us!

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Golden Snub-nosed Monkey Fun Facts: 

  • These monkeys live where it can snow. They tolerate colder temperatures than most non-human primates.
  • Males are larger than females (about 1/2 the size of males). They have longer hair on their backs.
  • The have flattened pushed back noses that are open nostrils.
  • They live in groups of 20-30 individuals during the cold winter. The smaller groups come together in the summer and you may fine groups of 200 individuals.
  • These herbivores eat pine needles, lichen, bamboo shoots and fruit.
  • They are highly vocal.
  • Golden snub-nosed monkeys are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

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We enjoyed viewing these monkeys in the trees. It is amazing that these primates can tolerate such cold. Most primates live in tropical climates. Do you think they have sweaters stashed somewhere?

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

Where Will the Next E&E Adventure Be?

Where Will the Next E&E Adventure Be?

 

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We are off on another adventure tomorrow. Can you guess where we are going from the clues?

  • We are off to a large continent in the East.
  • This land is large with many types of habitats – from mountains, to sandy desserts to dense forests.
  • The national animal is black & white.
  • There were many dynasties in this great land.
  • The border of this country has the tallest mountain on land in the world! 

 

Can you guess where we are going? 

 

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

Hi Spot!

Hi Spot!

We spent the last few days snorkeling in and around the reefs around these magically islands. We met so many spectacular animals and we are sharing one with you today!

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Spotted Moray Eel: 

  • Spotted morays can grow up to 6 ft long and weigh up to 5 1/2 lbs.
  • These carnivores eat fish, mollusks and crustaceans.
  • Spotted morays have two sets of jaws. The first set is in the front of their mouths. The second set is in the esophagus. The second set of jaws grabs the prey and pushes it down the throat.
  • They have poor eyesight. They use their excellent sense of smell to locate prey.
  • They are nocturnal.
  • Typically spotted morays are nocturnal.
  • They are listed as Threatened by the ICUN.

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We had a blast snorkeling and it was even more special to meet the shy and elusive eels. They love to hide among the coral and in crevices in the rocks!

 

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

Monk Seal

Monk Seal

We hung out on the beach to meet one of Hawaii’s most endangered animals- the Hawaiian Monk Seal.  We took the SS Ellie and Edmond up to the northern islands for the week to spend some time in the reefs and among areas where there are few humans. This is where we met these special marine mammals.

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Hawaiian Monk Seal Fun Facts: 

  • These tropical seals can grow up to 7 ft long and weigh up to 600 lbs.
  • They are carnivores. They eat fish, lobsters, octopus and eels.
  • Monk seals got their name from the fold of skin that resembles a monk’s robe’s cowl. Their Hawaiian name -Ilio holo I ka uaua- means dog that runs in rough water.
  • Females are slightly larger than males.
  • They shed their hair and outer layer of skin once a year. This is called a catrostrophic molt. During this molt, they spend their days on the beach.
  • Hawaiian monk seals are the state mammal of Hawaii.
  • They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN. There around 1,500 individuals.

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We had a blast seeing these seals sunning themselves on the beach. They are just the cutest. They have some great organizations working to save them too! Check out Save Monk Seals website for more info!

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

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