SAVE THE FROGS DAY!
The pond behind us is full of bullfrog tadpoles! YAY!!
Today is Save the Frogs Day! One-third of all amphibians are in danger of becoming extinct! So we thought we’d share 7 reasons why frogs are so awesome and therefore in need of protection!
Now if those aren’t reasons enough to want to protect our frog friends! We don’t know what will convince you!
THREE CHEERS FOR GORILLAS!
This week were celebrating APE-RIL! That’s right we’re going ape for our primate friends! We’ll be cheering on gorillas, meeting a lesser ape and visiting bonobos!
Edmond is ready to give three cheers for gorillas! Let’s all join him!
GIVE US A G! G is for gorillas! Gorillas are great apes! There are 4 subspecies, Eastern Lowland, Western lowland, mountain and cross river.
GIVE US AN O!
O is for the oldest gorilla is in charge. Gorilla live in family groups where the oldest silverback male is in charge.
GIVE US A R!
R is for roots, shoots, fruits and leaves. Gorillas are herbivores!
GIVE US AN I!
I is for intelligent. Gorillas are intelligent and are even known to have different cultures in different areas.
GIVE US AN L!
L is for Lowland gorillas. If you ever meet a gorilla in a zoo it is a Western Lowland gorilla. They have the most numbers in the wild too.
GIVE US AN L!
L is for loss. Gorillas are endangered due to habitat loss. Recycling your cell phone can help gorillas! Learn more here!
GIVE US AN A!
A is for Africa. All species of gorillas live in Africa.
PANDAMANIA!
Happy World Panda Day! Our friend Petunia Panda is sharing some great panda facts for you and we’ll have a great video for you to watch on Youtube and Instagram!
See how well a panda dances on Instagram and YouTube!
Apartment Builders of the Wild!
Since we we’re talking about burrows this week, we wanted to feature one of the best burrowers of animal world! These cute reptiles are the state reptile of Georgia too (our home state)!
Let’s give three cheers for these amazing reptiles! Go Gopher Tortoises!
LEMUR MANIA- PART 1!
We’re celebrating lemurs all week with some Lemur Mania! We’re off to the island of Madagascar to meet some of the crazy prosimians!
Some species of lemurs, like these ring tailed lemurs sun themselves during the day.
The gray mouse lemur only reaches a weight of up to 3oz. That is one small lemur!
Red ruffed lemurs have alarm calls they use to warn others about predators.
Sifaka lemurs move by jumping vertically! It is super fun to watch- check it out!
The golden bamboo lemur eats, you guessed it, bamboo. They are critically endangered due to habitat loss.
Black and white ruffed lemurs, like other lemurs, have a row of bottom teeth that are similar to a comb- in fact it is called a toothcomb. This toothcomb helps the lemur groom itself.
A group of lemurs is called a troop!
We’ll be back tomorrow with more lemur mania! Do you have any lemur facts you’d like to share?
WORLD ELEPHANT DAY!!
World Elephant Day is here again! We have some great fun facts, photos and resources on how you can help elephants! Tomorrow we’ll learn who the We Spy was and more about the elephants closest relative in a brand new We Are Fanimaly!
ELEPHANT FUN FACTS:
On this World Elephant Day we must remember that 96 elephants are killed everyday for their ivory! We can take a stand! Join us and others at 96elephants.org- the Wildlife Conservation Society’s page dedicated to helping elephants! Lend your voice! Make a video of you stomping for elephants– like ours!
The Devil from Down Under
If you guessed Tasmanian Devil yesterday- you were right! We love these tenacious little marsupials and we hope you will too after learning more about them!
Range/Habitat: Island of Tasmanian of coast of Australia/forest, scrub
Diet: Carnivore: carrion
Length/Weight: 23-26 inches/ 11-30 lbs
Conservation Status: endangered
Fun Facts:
We think these little marsupials with the bad reputation. They are amazing creatures. Do you love them as much as we do?
Answer: False
ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY!
We’re on vacation- so we wanted to share a post from a few years ago with you!
We want to explain a bit more about endangered species and have you meet a few animals who have success stories!
First, what is an endangered species? Well, that is a complicated answer. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) is an International group that is made up of scientist, conservation organizations and governments from all over the world. They work on conservation issues all around the globe and help determine populations of animals. They have ranking system that starts at Data Deficient and goes to Critically Endangered to Extinct. Individual countries sometimes have their own ranking system and that here in the U.S. started with the Endangered Species Act. It lists animals who need protection or help due to low populations. When an animal is put on the endangered species list, it helps people protect their habitat and their population.
We often hear so many negative stories when it comes to endangered species and we wanted to share some success stories! We can make a difference and we can help protect critical habitats and the animals who live there!
Peregrine Falcons
At one time there were just 324 pairs of these fast fliers left, but now there are over 1,700 pairs*!
Sea Otters
These adorable otters have gone from 1,700 individuals to over 2,700 due to protecting their habitat and rehabilitation efforts by places like the Monterey Bay Aquarium!
Hawaiian Goose
The state bird of Hawaii has gone from just 400 birds to several thousand due to captive breeding programs that reintroduce the birds in their habitats!
Gray Whale
These giants of the ocean are protected from hunting internationally and have seen their numbers grow under that protection. They now number in the 30,000s!
*Numbers from biologicaldiversity.org
We love sharing animal success stories! You can make a difference when it comes to helping endangered species. You can get involved with local and global conservation organizations. You can participate in a habitat clean up. You can recycle, reduce your trash and reuse items. You can take a trip to your local AZA accredited zoo or aquarium, all of which not only work with the animals they house, but with wild populations. Lastly, share your passion and love of animals with everyone you know!
SCIENCE WORD OF THE WEEK!
It’s time for the Science Word of the Week! Friday is Endangered Species Day so we’ll be sharing information, puzzles and some great success stories all week! We promise to have E & E’s Chicago picks up too. It was a busy week at the University and we fell a bit behind.
Today’s Word is Endangered- when an animal is on the brink of extinction. Animals that are at risk of being endangered are listed by the IUCN as vulnerable, endangered and critically endangered. We here at the University work hard to share how we can all help endangered species! We look forward to sharing that all week!
GO GREY FOR ELEPHANTS!
Today is International Elephant Day and we’re going grey for elephants! Unfortunately Ellie’s wild cousins are being poached in Africa at alarming rates and it’s up to all of us to help them! Put on grey today and tell people you are wearing grey for elephants!
What do we love about elephants? Let us tell you!
How can you help elephants? Check out these organizations that helping elephants: David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, 96 Elephants (Join the Herd), United for Wildlife.
You can also enter our art contest– we’re making calendars and the proceeds of those sales will go to the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust!
We want to see you in your grey today! Show us your #elphies on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 