Posts Tagged With: education

SUPER SURPRISE THURSDAY # 17

Posted on December 8, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

SUPER SURPRISE THURSDAY# 17

Have you ever seen a gold amphibian? No? Well we have one for you on this Super Surprise Thursday! Are you ready to travel to the mountainous rainforests of South America? Let’s go!

MEET THE GOLD FROG!

Range/Habitat: South America (Brazil)/mountainous rainforests

Diet: Carnivore: insects, small invertebrates

Length: 3/8-3/4”

Conservation Status: locally common

Fun Facts:

  • Gold frogs are also known as the Brazilian Golden Frog.
  • They are mostly ground dwellers (terrestrial).
  • Gold frogs are not good at jumping or climbing.
  • They are the smallest frog in the Southern Hemisphere; they’re about the size of a penny.
  • Gold frogs are bright orange/yellow in color.
  • They have a bony plate under the skin on their backs.
  • Gold frogs do not have a tadpole stage; they hatch from eggs as small frogs.

Gold frogs are teeny tiny. And who knew there were frogs out there that didn’t start out their lives as tadpoles? We didn’t know that! It so much fun to learn all about animals!

Categories: amphibians, Animals, Children, education, Environment, frogs, nature | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

WATERY WEDNESDAY # 17

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

WATERY WEDNESDAY# 17

Sharks come in all shapes and sizes and we have a sleek coral reef dweller for this Watery Wednesday! So come meet this gray shark with colored tips!

MEET THE BLACKTIP REEF SHARK!

Range/Habitat: Indo-Pacific Oceans/coral reefs-shallows

Diet: Carnivore: fish, crustaceans, octopus, squid

Length/Weight: up 6 ½ ft/ over 99lb

Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Fun Facts:

  • Blacktip Reef Sharks are the most common shark in coral reefs of the Pacific Ocean.
  • Blacktip reef sharks have streamlined bodies with black color on the tips of their fins.
  • They are powerful are strong and quick swimmers.
  • Blacktip reef sharks must swim to breath. The motion moves the water over their gills that extract oxygen from the water.
  • They can be curious of divers.

Blacktip reef sharks are fast and sleek! They are very important in their coral reef habitats, because they’re apex predators (top of the food chain). Blacktip reef sharks look so sleek and smooth! Do you think they feel that way? Nope- they feel like sandpaper! Neat, huh?

Categories: Animals, Children, education, Environment, fish, nature | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

REPTILIAN TUESDAY #17

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 17

Reptilian Tuesday brings us a reptile that deserves respect and a lot of distance. Yes, we’ve found a very venomous snake that is beautiful as it is scary. So let’s meet…

MEET THE WESTERN DIAMONDBACK RATTLESNAKE!

Range/Habitat: Southwestern United States-North Mexico/desert-scrub-forest

Diet: Carnivore: small mammals, birds, lizards

Length: 3-6ft

Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes are heavy, stocky snakes with a diamond pattern on their backs.
  • They have very dangerous venom and are dangerous to humans.
  • Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes have a segmented rattle on the end of their tails that they rattle to warn predators.
  • The rattles get longer after the snake sheds its skin. They can get up to 10 segments long.
  • Western diamondback rattlesnakes have no rattles when they are born.
  • They are ambush predators.
  • Western diamondback rattlesnakes are pit vipers; they have heat sensing pits between their eyes.

Western diamondback rattlesnakes are definitely a snake you should stay away from. They are an important part of the ecosystem though and are to be respected! Every animal has their place on our planet, cute or not!

Categories: Animals, Children, education, Environment, nature, reptiles | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

MAMMAL MONDAY # 17

Posted on December 5, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

MAMMAL MONDAY# 17

Happy Mammal Monday! Are you ready to meet a cute little animal that lives in the forest of Southeast Asia? This little animal is called a shrew, but it’s not actually a shrew. So let’s meet…

MEET THE PYGMY TREE SHREW!

Range/Habitat: Southeast Asia/forests

Diet: Omnivore: small animals, fruits, leaves

Length/Weight: 4 ¾-5 ½”/ 1- 2 ½ oz

Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

  • Pygmy tree shrews are not shrews. New research shows that are more closely related to flying lemurs and lemurs.
  • They have large brains compared to their body size.
  • Pygmy tree shrews spend most of their time on the ground foraging for food. They sleep in the roots of trees or low branches.
  • They have large eyes and ears to listen and look for predators.
  • Pygmy tree shrews are diurnal (active during the day).
  • They have glands on their stomachs that they use to mark the trees in their territory.
  • Pygmy tree shrews have long tails to help them balance.
  • They also have feet and claws that are built for climbing trees.

Wow, who knew a shrew is not really a shrew? We still have tons to learn about these little animals. Isn’t it crazy that we’re still learning so much about animals! That’s another good reason to make sure we protect these animals!

Categories: Animals, Children, education, Environment, mammals, nature | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

FEATHERY FRIDAY # 16

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

FEATHERY FRIDAY# 16

This Feathery Friday brings you a king of bird! They’re not big or on the top of the food chain, but they are called kings! Who wants to meet this royal bird? We do!

MEET THE PIED KINGFISHER!

Range/Habitat: Africa-Southwest Asia/near water- fresh and ocean

Diet: Carnivore: fish

Length/Weight: 10”/ 3 ¼ oz

Conservation Status: Common

 

 

Fun Facts:

  • Pied Kingfishers are fluffy bird with feathery crests on their heads.
  • They are speedy fliers.
  • Pied kingfishers can hover over water before diving to catch their prey.
  • Male and female pied kingfishers help rear chicks. Young adult birds act as helpers in rearing chicks too.

 

Pied kingfishers are neat birds! They make a great sound too! Check it out!

http://www.junglewalk.com/popup.asp?type=a&AnimalAudioID=12818

 

 

 

 

Categories: Animals, birds, Children, education, Environment, nature | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

SUPER SURPRISE THURSDAY # 16

Posted on December 1, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

SUPER SURPRISE

THURSDAY# 16

Happy Super Surprise Thursday! We’ve featuring a very special mammal and a member of the canid (dog) family. This mammal looks like a raccoon, but they’re not! So let’s get to it and meet…

MEET THE RACCOON DOG!

Range/Habitat: Europe-Central Asia-Japan/rivers, lakes, woodlands

Diet:  Omnivore: fruit, mice, crabs and fish

Length/Weight: 20-23 ½”/ 17lbs

Conservation Status: Common

 

Fun Facts:

  • Raccoon Dogs are members are the canid family. They are related to wolves and foxes.
  • They look like raccoons with their dark fur mask on their face.
  • Raccoon dogs live in pairs or small family groups.
  • Raccoon dogs are nocturnal (active at night).
  • They have two coats of fur in the winter, an under coat and a top coat to keep them warm in cold climates!
  • They are excellent climbers.
  • Raccoon dogs are the only members of the canid family that hibernates (a long sleep).  They can increase their body weight by 50% for winter.

Raccoon dogs are a cool mammal. They are built to live in cold weather climates with their think fur. And isn’t it cool that they hibernate! Sometimes we wish we could hibernate all winter and wake-up in time for spring! Can you name another animal that hibernates?

Categories: Animals, Children, education, Environment, mammals, nature | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

WATERY WEDNESDAY # 16

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

WATERY WEDNESDAY# 16

This Watery Wednesday we are looking upside down! That’s right; we’ve found a little freshwater fish that swims upside down! Isn’t the animal world just amazing? Let’s meet this little fish!

MEET THE UPSIDE DOWN CATFISH!

Range/Habitat: Central Africa/ rivers-streams

Diet: Omnivore: plants, invertebrates

Length: 3 ¾”

Conservation Status: Common

 

Fun Facts:

  • Upside Down Catfish swim upside down at the surface of the water.
  • They have reverse counter shading (they are lighter on the top than the bottom) so they blend in.
  • Upside down catfish are active at dusk and night.
  • Upside down catfish eat plants off the underside off logs and branches.

 

How cool is it that there are little fish who swim upside down? Can any of you a handstand? If you can try it and see what the world looks like upside down, just like this little catfish!

 

 

 

 

 

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REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 16

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 16

Well have we an odd reptile for you today! So we all know snakes have no legs right? And we all know lizards have 4 legs! But that last statement is not true! Yep folks, there are lizards out there with NO legs! What? Come meet this legless lizard!

MEET THE SLOW WORM!

Range/Habitat: Europe-Western Asia-Northern Africa/woodlands, yards

Diet: Carnivore: slugs, invertebrates

Length: 12-16”

Conservation Status: common

 

Fun Facts:

  • Slow worms are not worms or snakes, they are lizards without legs.
  • Slow worms are active at dawn and dusk.
  • They have long life spans; they can live up to 50 years.
  • Unlike snakes, slow worms have eyelids.
  • Young slow worms have a metallic stripe that the females keep throughout their lives.
  • They can lose their tails if caught by a predator, just like other kinds of lizards.
  • Slow worms hibernate in the winter.

 

Slow worms are a funny lizard. They slither around like a snake, but they aren’t snakes! Crazy! They are considered to be very beneficial to have in a garden because they eat pests that can destroy crops! How helpful of them!

Categories: Animals, Children, education, Environment, nature, reptiles | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

MAMMAL MONDAY #16

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

MAMMAL MONDAY# 16

We’re back! We hope everyone had a lovely holiday! We sure did! We’re starting out this week with a primate! Don’t know what a primate is? Well if you can read this- than you’re probably a primate J! Primates include lemurs, monkeys and apes and people are apes! Neat, huh? Today’s mammal is a monkey and a pretty cute one too. Are you ready to meet them?

MEET THE CELEBES MACAQUE!

Range/Habitat: Southeast Asia-North Sulawesi/rainforest

Diet: Omnivore: fruit (up to 70% of their diet), seeds, bird eggs

Length/Weight: 20-22 ½”/up to 22lb

Conservation Status: critically endangered

Fun Facts:

  • Celebes Macaques are all black with hairless faces.
  • They have crests on their heads. They look like they have mohawks J!
  • Celebes macaques live in troupes of up to 50 individuals with 3 to 4 dominate males.
  • Celebes macaques are also called black crested macaques.
  • They spend most of their day on the ground looking for food.
  • They spend their nights in trees.

These funny looking monkeys are very curious and awesome. A photographer recently had an encounter with them in the wild where they took photos of themselves! Pretty smart!

Read all about that here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/04/shutter-happy-monkey-photographer

Categories: Animals, Children, education, Environment, mammals, nature | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

WATERY WEDNESDAY # 15

Posted on November 23, 2011 by Ellie and Edmond ©

WATERY WEDNESDAY# 15

A rare and mysterious animal is the spotlight for today’s Watery Wednesday animal! This gentle giant is so elusive that its existence has only been known to people for the last 30 years! Wow! That’s one of the many great things about the world’s oceans; they’re still full of loads of mysteries! Let’s meet this big guy…

MEET THE MEGAMOUTH SHARK!

Range/Habitat: Atlantic Ocean-Pacific Ocean-Indian Ocean

Diet: Carnivore: plankton

Length/Weight: up to 18ft/ up to 2000lbs

Conservation Status: Unknown

 

Fun Facts:

  • Megamouth sharks were discovered in 1976!
  • Only 53 sharks have been seen since their discovery.
  • Megamouth sharks have large mouths that they use to filter tiny plankton from the water.
  • The roof of their mouth is silvery color and is thought to help attract plankton.
  • They are believed to live in deep waters. It is most likely though that they swim where the plankton is.

 

Wow! This large shark doesn’t have a mouth full of sharp and pointy teeth, but instead filters out tiny plankton from the water! Can you believe that they’ve been living in our oceans for a very long time, but we just found them 30 years ago? Crazy!

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