Posts Tagged With: mammals

BLUBBER WEEK- DAY #2

We’ve staying in the E&E sub in the cold Arctic waters for day 2 of blubber week! Today’s marine mammal has quiet the melon!!  Are you ready to meet the white whale? Let’s go…

MEET THE BELUGA WHALE!

   Range/Habitat: Arctic Ocean

   Diet: Carnivore: fish, mollusks, crustaceans

   Length/Weight: 13-18ft/ 1-1 ½ tons

   Conservation Status: Threatened

Fun Facts:

• Beluga whales are white to ivory in color. This helps them blend in with the arctic ice.
• Beluga whales are highly social and can be seen in groups called pods.
• They are very vocal too. They make all kinds of sounds, including clicks, whistles, and squeaks.
• They are often called the sea canary because they are so vocal.
• Beluga whales use echolocation to find prey. Echolocation is when an animal sends out a sound wave and it come back (echoes) to the animal giving them the distance and size of the object.
• Beluga whales have large melons on top of their head that is full of oils, tissue and fats. It is thought that the melons help them with echolocation and sound production.
• Baby beluga whales are gray when they are born and turn white by the age of 5.
• Beluga whales can swim backwards and turn their heads, unlike most other whales.
• They have a mouth full of teeth used to eat their prey, but they also use suction to suck up their prey.

Beluga whales are a very special member of the whale family! Their closest relative is the narwhal. Want to hear some of the sounds they can make? You should try out your Beluga whale impression after you watch the video! Edmond will be trying his all day, much to the dismay of Ellie J!

Listen here.

MAMMAL MONDAY #88

We’re hitting the road to Central America on this fine Mammal Monday! We’re on the lookout for a raccoon who likes to eat shellfish! Pack you backpacks and let’s head in to the forests for an adventure!

MEET THE CRAB EATING RACCOON!

   Range/Habitat: Central-South America/ forest, mountains,

   mangroves

   Diet: Carnivore: shellfish, fish, insects

   Length/Weight: 18-35”/ 4 ½-26 lbs

   Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

•          Crab eating raccoons are also called mapache.
•          They are nocturnal.
•          Crab eating raccoons have long, slender bodies.
•          Crab eating raccoons have nimble paws.
•          They have bushy ringed tails and black masks on their faces.

Crab eating raccoons look similar to their cousins the common raccoon (we know those guys)!  There long snouts and brown fur make them stand out. These raccoons aren’t as adapted to urban environments as their common cousins!

MAMMAL MONDAY #87

It’s off to South America for us today! Are you packed and ready to join us? We’re off to find a large mammal with an extraordinarily looooong tongue! Do you have a guess on who it might be? Grab your gear and let’s head out on today’s adventure!

MEET THE GIANT ANTEATER!

   Range/Habitat: Central- South America/ grasslands, forests,

   swamps

   Diet: Insectivore: termites, ants

   Length/Weight: 5 ½-7 ¼ ft/ 60-90 lbs

   Conservation Status: vulnerable

Fun Facts:

•          Giant anteaters have long tubular snouts with tiny mouths.
•          They have 2 ft long tongues.
•          Giant anteaters have poor eyesight.
•          Giant anteaters have an excellent sense of smell.
•          They have large front claws to dig in termite mounds.
•          Giant anteaters are excellent swimmers.

Giant anteaters are such great creatures! They are related to sloths! Who knew that? When baby anteaters are born, they ride on their mothers backs!

MAMMAL MONDAY #85

We’ve packed our bags for today’s adventure to Northern Australian to meet a really cool little mammal. Has everyone practicing saying mate? Pack your hiking boots and walking stick and let’s head out into the forests of the land down under!

MEET THE NUMBAT!

   Range/Habitat: Northwest Australia/ forests

   Diet: Insectivore: termites

   Length/Weight: 8-11”/ 11-26 oz

   Conservation Status: endangered

Fun Facts:

•          Numbats have long bushy tails.
•          Numbats are also known as the banded anteater.
•          They have 4” long sticky tongues.
•          Numbats have large claws on forefeet to help them dig in termite mounds.
•          They are marsupials.
•          Numbats have 53 teeth, the most of any mammal on earth.

Numbats are amazing little creatures. Their numbers dropped dramatically, but thanks to some great conservation programs their numbers are climbing back up! We love to hear how people are helping animals!

SUPER SURPRISE THURSDAY #84

It’s time to guess the animal! You guys know how this works! You ready, set, go!!!

• I live in the mountains of East Africa.
• I am a large ape.
• I am endangered.

WHO AM I?

MAMMAL MONDAY  #83

Happy Mammal Monday! We’re traveling to the land down under-Australia to find today’s animal! Australia is a large continent with wild and strange animals that are found no other place on earth and today’s mammal is no exception! In fact this mammal is a rare exception to the rule, instead of giving birth to live young it lays eggs! WHAAAAT? You heard right, this mammal lays eggs! Let’s meet…

MEET THE PLATYPUS!

   Range/Habitat: Eastern Australia-Tasmania/rivers-streams-rainforest

   Diet: Carnivore: worms, shrimp, crayfish

   Length/Weight: 16-23 ½”/ 1 ¾-5 ½ lbs

   Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

• Platypus are strange looking mammals, with long slender bodies, webbed feet and a duck-like bill for a mouth.
• They have long tails that look like beaver tails.
• Platypus are built for water. They are excellent swimmers and can dive to deep depths looking for prey.
• They eat about 20% of their body weight a day (about 2lbs), so they can spend up to 12 hours a day feeding.
• Platypus have no teeth!
• Male platypus have venomous spurs in the back feet. The venom is not fatal to humans, but can be very painful.
• Platypus can detect the electrical fields of other animals. They use this extra sense to find their prey!
• They are one of two mammals on earth that lay eggs. Do you know the other one?
• Platypus moms to provide milk to their offspring.

Platypus are one of our favorites, with their crazy looking bill mouths and their webbed feet! They are much loved in Australia too! You can find a platypus on the back of their 20 cent coins! Neat! Edmond wants to be on a coin! Ellie told him he’d have to learn to lay eggs first!