Posts Tagged With: endangered species

Off to South Africa

Posted on April 3, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Off to South Africa

Did you guess where are our next adventure will be? If you guessed South Africa- you are correct! Yay! We are off to meet some of the iconic animals of this beautiful country, but first let’s learn more about South Africa today!

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South Africa Fun Facts: 

  • Table Mountain in Cape Town in one of the oldest mountains in the world.
  • The waters off the coast of South Africa can be quiet dangerous. It is believed that 2,000 shipwreck are in the waters there.
  • South Africa is the 2nd largest producer of fruits in the nation.
  • The largest land mammal, the elephant calls South Africa home, as does the smallest mammal in the world- the least dwarf shrew.
  • Around 900 species of birds call South Africa home.
  • South Africa is home to Kruger National Park. The park is a huge! It is nearly 500,000 acres.
  • Kruger is home to cheetah, elephants, springbok, rhinos, zebra, giraffe and many other species.
  • Kruger was established in 1898.

 

Kruger is where we will be setting up our base camp for most of this trip! We are so excited to see of the animals of this amazing spot- especially Ellie’s relatives.

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

Happy Frogs!

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

One Neat Monkey

Posted on March 12, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

Monk Seal

Posted on February 19, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

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

Hey Nene!

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hey Nene!

After exploring for bats, we decided to sleep in again and go birding. Today we wanted to find the State bird of Hawaii. Off to meet a goose.

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Hawaiian Goose Fun Facts: 

  • The Hawaiian goose is also called the Nene- named after their soft call.
  • They grow up to 16 inches tall and weigh up to 6 3/4 lbs.
  • They are herbivores. They eat seeds, grasses , fruit and flowers.
  • Nenes evolved from the Canada Goose.
  • Males are slightly larger than females.
  • There were only 32 birds in 1952. With great conservation efforts, their populations have been raised to 1000 birds.
  • They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

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We had a fun time on Maui meeting these rare species. It is with great care that they have been a success story. We hope their population continues to grow.

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

Birding Fun

Posted on February 8, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Birding Fun!

We slept in after our big snorkeling trip yesterday! We hoped a plane to the island of O‘ahu for a few days in the late morning. We were on a mission to find one of Hawaii’s native birds in the wetlands! We were super lucky to spot some! Come learn about them with us!

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Hawaiian Gallinule Fun Facts: 

  • Hawaiian Gallinule are also known as the Hawaiian moorhen.
  • They can grow up to 12 inches long and weigh up 3/4 lbs.
  • They are omnivores. They eat grass, algae and insects.
  • These wetland birds do not have webbed feet. They are excellent swimmers though.
  • They molt once a year in the summer. The molt takes 25 days or so.
  • Hawaiian gallinule are known to be very secretive.
  • Nesting parents are very territorial. They both help incubate the eggs and protect the young chicks.
  • They are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.

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It was neat to see these shy water loving birds. We love their funny long legs and feet!

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

Swimming with Greens

Posted on February 7, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Snorkeling with Greens

We decided to go snorkeling for our first time in Hawaii. The water is so gorgeous and inviting. We were excited to see what animals we would find! And wow- we met some green sea turtles grazing in the shallows!

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Green Sea Turtle Fun Facts: 

  • Green Sea Turtles have a smooth carapace.
  • They can grow up to 5 ft long and weigh up to 600 lbs.
  • The carapace (top shell) is a brown-olive color.
  • Green sea turtles have small heads, but strong flippers.
  • They are the only sea turtle that can be seen occasionally sunbathing on the beach.
  • Green sea turtles lay eggs on the beach.
  • They are herbivores. They eat sea grass, roots and algae. Young turtles are known to eat crabs and jellies.
  • They are listed as Endangered by IUCN.

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We enjoyed seeing these majestic reptiles in the oceans. Green sea turtles get their name from their greenish skin color. It was so excited to snorkel with these sea turtles. They are known to come ashore and sun themselves on certain beaches around Hawaii- if you visit- wave quietly and from a distance!

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

We Are Fanimaly- Anteater/Sloth

Posted on January 16, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

We Are Fanimaly- Anteater/Sloth

We are starting up a feature from the past this week! We’ll be post a segment we call     We Are Fanimaly once a month. This feature will spotlight animals that are related. Some of these you may know and some of them may surprise you! This month’s features our giant anteater from last week. 

 

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Anteaters and sloths are relatives! Can you believe it? Our Giant Armadillo from a few days ago also belongs in their Fanimaly! They look nothing alike! Hehehehe!

  • Their superorder is Xenartha.
  • These animals only live in the Americas.
  • They have been around for about 59 million years.
  • Remember the Glyploton- the giant armadillo? Well there were giant ground sloths too!
  • The name Xenarthra means “strange joints”.
  • The name was chosen because anteaters, sloths and armadillos have vertebral joints unlike any other mammals on earth.
  • Anteaters and sloths are more closely related to each other than their armadillo cousins.
  • The animals in the Xenartha surperorder are either insectivores (anteaters & armadillos) or herbivores (sloth).
  • There are 6 sloth species and four anteater species.
Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, endangered species, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello Armadillos

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Armadillos

Aaaah the armadillo, an animal many in the southern United States associate with road kill. But there are 20 species of armadillos in the world, each one neat in their own respects. We went looking for the biggest armadillo of the them all- the giant armadillo! This species is not to be confused with the extinct Glyptodon – a car sized relative of the armadillo that lived during the Pleistocene epoch! Our giant armadillo friend is not that big- but they are cool!

 

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Giant Armadillo Fun Facts: 

  • The giant armadillo has 11-13 bands.
  • They can grow up to 39 inches long and weigh up to 72 lbs. There have been a few found that weigh 180 lbs.
  • They have the most teeth of any mammal- 80 to 100 per armadillo!
  • These solitary nocturnal animals live in burrows.
  • Giant armadillos are insectivores. They eat termites, ants, worms and spiders. They can consume the entire population of one termite mound.
  • They have the proportional claw of any mammal. This is their 3rd curved claw.
  • Giant armadillos can not roll up completely in to a ball.
  • Due to hunting, giant armadillos are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

 

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These giant armadillos are so amazing! Little is known about them in the wild. No scientists have ever seen a juvinelle giant armadillo in the wild!

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

Hello Birdie!

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Birdie!

We are meeting a little bird of the Pantanal today! Come join us!

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Chestnut-bellied guan fun facts: 

  • These birds prefer higher ground.
  • They resemble turkeys, but are not.
  • They have chestnut brown bellies and red waddles.
  • They have a rough crow like call.
  • They are about 21 inches long.
  • They are listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.

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These funny looking birds remind of us of a turkey and a roadrunner. They are super cool!

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

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