Posts Tagged With: mammals

THREE CHEERS FOR SLOTHS!

We all know and love this folivore- the sloth! Edmond is doing one of his cheers for them today!

GIVE ME A S!
S is for Slooooow! Sloths are slooooow moving!

GIVE ME A L!
L is for leaves! Sloths eat leaves from their treetop homes. They even get their water from the leaves they eat!

GIVE ME AN O!
O is for olive colored fur! Sloths have a greenish tint to their fur, because algae grows in it.

GIVE ME A T!
T is for turn! Sloths can turn their heads 270 degrees, very much like owls!

GIVE ME A H!
H is for high up in the tree tops! Sloths spend most of their lives high up in the trees. They do come down once a week to poop!

GIVE US THREE CHEERS FOR SLOTHS! ONE OF OUR FAVORITE FOLIVORES!!  WOOHOO!

HOLEY MOLEY!!

We’re on day three of our you choose week and we had a friend vote for moles! So of course we narrowed down to the star nosed mole! This crazy looking creature is sure to be popular, so let’s get moving and head underground to meet this wild animal!

Fun Facts:

• The first thing you notice on a star nosed mole is the nose. It is compromised of 22 finger like projections, 11 on each nostril. Those projections are called tendrils.
• Star nosed moles live in wetlands and moist habitats along the coast of Northeastern North America.
• Star nosed moles can grow up to 8 inches and weigh up to 2 oz.
• They are insectivores. They have 44 teeth to crunch up insect exoskeletons.
• Star nosed mole nose projections are full of extremely sensitive receptors called Eimer’s organs. Other moles have these receptors, but the star nosed mole has 25,000 of them; more than any other animal!
• 
• Star nosed moles are functionally blind, so those crazy looking tendrils give them a picture of their environment and of their prey! It can tell if a prey is edible in 8 milliseconds! WOW!
• They can smell underwater too!
• Their tendrils have no muscles or bones in them. They are not used as a scent organ. The mole has nostrils that use for smell.
• Star nosed moles dig shallow tunnels in the wet ground. They are also excellent swimmers, using those wide front feet and back feet to help them swim.
• They tend to be out on the ground more than other moles who stay in their burrows.

We could on days and days about the star nosed moles. Those tendrils are unique in the animal kingdom. Scientists have been studying these critters for years and continue to learn so many things about them. They even think they may be able to pick up slight electrical fields! WOW! Our earth is full of so many crazy creatures that are so fascinating!

SUN BEARS!!

As part of our you choose week- we’re going to meet the Sun Bear!

Fun Facts:

• Sun bears are also called the dog bear or honey bear.
• Sun bears are found in Southeast Asia in rainforests.

• Sun bears are omnivores. They eat fruit, eggs, honey and termites.
• They can get up to 4 1/2 feet long and weigh up to 145 lbs.
• Sun bears are listed by the IUCN as endangered.
• They have sleek, smooth brown-black fur with a white-orangeish “sun” patch on their chest.
• They have very loose skin around their neck.
• Sun bears are the smallest member of the bear family.

• Sun bears have very long tongues that they can extend up to 10”. They use these tongues to get termites and honey.
• Sun bears are nocturnal (active at night).
• They spend most of their time in trees.

Sun bears are just so adorable. They are endangered mainly due to habitat loss. Helping protect their rainforest home by reducing, recycling and reusing! Yay for the 3 Rs!

THREE CHEERS FOR PYGMY HIPPOS!!

Give us a P!
P for Pygmy hippo! The petite cousins of the hippopotamus live in West Africa.

Give us a Y!
Y rhymes with shy! The pygmy hippo is a shy and solitary animal!

Give us a G!
G is for ground! Pygmy hippos spend much less time in water than their larger cousins! Their feet are less webbed too!

Give us a M!
M is munchies! Pygmy hippos munch on grasses, leaves, fruits and ferns.

Give us a Y!
Y is for Young! Pygmy hippos give birth to one young/calf at a time.

Give us a H!
H is for habitat! Pygmy hippos live in rainforests, swamps and rivers.

Give us an I!
I is for It’s rare! Pygmy hippos are rare and scientist don’t know much about them in the wild. They are listed by the IUCN as endangered.

Give us a P!
P is for Petite! Pygmy hippos weigh up to 500 pounds and grow up to 5 1/2 feet long.

Give us a P!
P is for predator! The only known predator of the pygmy hippo is a leopard.

Give us an O!
O is for out at night! The pygmy hippo is nocturnal! They have sensitive thin skin and the sun can be harmful, so they get their noms on at night!

Woot! Woot! Let’s give a cheer for pygmy hippos! They truly are one of our favorites! We think they are cutest little butterballs!

WORLD HIPPO DAY!

Happy World Hippo Day! Of course there has to be a day to celebrate these gregarious animals!

Today we’ll be talking about the big hippos, tomorrow we’ll be meeting the pygmy hippo and Wednesday we have a hippo sock puppet craft for you! YAY!

Hippo Fun Facts:

• Hippopotamuses are large mammals who spend most of their day in rivers in Africa.
• Hippos are herbivores. They eat grasses and leaves.
• They can grow up to 13 feet long and weigh up to 8,000 pounds.
• The name hippopotamus means “river horse” in Greek! They however are not related to horses though.
• A hippopotamus’s closest relative is a whale! That’s what we said- they are related to whales!
• Hippo ears, eyes and nostrils are located on top of their of heads so they can keep their bodies submerged in water while still being able to see and hear and breathe.
• Hippos secrete an reddish oily substance when they are on shore. This substance protects the hippo from sun and keeps their skin moist!
• Hippos don’t actually swim, they “walk” in the water.
• These giants are not gentle. Hippos can be very territorial and aggressive.
• Hippos have large canine and incisor teeth! They can grow up to 20 inches!
• A group of hippos is called a bloat!
• They are very social animals. Hippos are also very vocal and use a variety of sounds, including ones that can make the ground shake.
• On land, these not so graceful looking animals can reach speeds of up to 20 miles per hour.

Hip Hip Hooray for Hippos! We love hippopotamuses! They may be grumpy but they are one of our favorites!