Posts Tagged With: environment

WORLD TIGER DAY!

Happy World Tiger Day! We’re ready to celebrate these gorgeous striped cats! There are so many things to love about tigers, so we’ll just name a few! These majestic big cats are endangered though. We’ll tell you about a few places where you can help!

• All tigers live in Asia.
• There are 6 subspecies of tigers; Bengal, Siberian (Amur), Sumatran, Indo-Chinese, Malayan and South China.
• Tigers are the largest of all living cats.
• Tigers are carnivores.
• Those famous stripe pattern goes all the way to their skin.
• Adult tigers have 30 teeth!
• Tigers range in size from about 4 1/2 feet to 9 feet.
• Tigers are solitary.

We just love tigers! There numbers are dropping drastically in the wild! There are only a few thousand left! It’s important on this World Tiger Day that we learn how we can help conserve tigers! You can “adopt” a tiger from World Wildlife Fund or Defenders of Wildlife. Another great organization that rescues tigers who are kept as pets or used in circuses is Big Cat Rescue in Florida! Check them out and see all the work they do help!

Day #42 (4/23/2014) Southern Tamandua

We were so excited to see one of Professor Tamanadua’s wild relatives while we are here in South America! Tamanduas are such great creatures, even if they are a bit stinky :)!

Their range/habitat: Central- South America/forest-scrub
Their length/weight: 2-8 ft/ 4 1/2- 7 lbs Conservation Status: common
Their diet: Insectivore: ants, termites

• Southern Tamanduas are also known as lesser anteaters.
• They are arboreal.
• Southren Tamanduas have a strong musty odor to help protect them predators.
• Southren tamanduas have no teeth. They use a long tongue to catch their insect prey!
• They are nocturnal.
• Southern tamanduas have long claws for climbing and digging for prey.
• They have a partially prehensile tail that helps them grip branches in trees and balance when they stand up on their hind legs.

Tamanduas and anteaters are one of natures coolest animals. Those long claws, noses and tongues make them unusual and fascinating! One tamandua can eat up to 9,000 termites in one sitting! Nom! Nom! Nom!

-Ellie and Edmond

Day #38 (7/10/2014) Short Beaked Echidna

We had such fun watching platypuses the other day. We headed off to our next stop on our short trip to Australia. We were on a mission to find the other monotreme (mammal that lays eggs) that lives in Australia too.  We hiked for a quiet a while during the morning and finally hit the jackpot! We spotted an echidna! We were so excited!
Their range/habitat: Australia-New Guinea/deserts-forests
Their length/weight: 14-39″/9-15lbs  Conservation Status: common
Their diet: Insectivores– ants, worms, termites

• Echidnas are also known as spiny anteaters.
• They are considered one of the oldest species on earth.
• Echidnas can live up to 50 years.
• Echidnas are solitary.
• They have a poor sense of sight, but an excellent sense of smell and hearing.
• Echidna snouts are also called beaks.
• They are excellent diggers.
• Echidnas have 6” tongues!

Echidnas may just be one of the most alien creatures that we have ever seen. They have remained nearly unchained since prehistoric times. They are just crazy and weird! Australia is an island full of these creatures. We can’t wait to see what we find tomorrow!

-Ellie and Edmond