Posts Tagged With: nature blogs

A Skink not a Skunk!

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

A Skink not a Skunk!

After we settled in at camp we decided where we should go on our first adventure! We wanted to meet a neat little lizard we knew lived in this habitat! We headed off for the day with our day packs full of snacks and MUD SPF 30 sunscreen!

great desert skink

IMG_3315

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 4/3

Location: Great Victorian Desert

Great Desert Skink Fun Facts:

  • Great desert skinks vary in color from tan to grey or dark brown.
  • They store fat in their tales during the winter.
  • Males are slightly larger than females.
  • Great desert skinks live in complex burrows with several entrances and areas.

IMG_3316

  • A family group occupies the burrow. Babies stay with their family for up to three years.
  • They generally hunt at night in the hotter months.

great desert skink2

We had such fun going to look for these little short legged lizards! They remind us of another Australian skink- the blue tongued skink! They are both so cool! And they aren’t slimy at all- very smooth!

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

Hello Little Lemur!

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Little Lemur!

We are meeting our last animal on Madagascar! It’s a lemur of course! We are so excited! We are heading to the desert of Australia for the month of April! Woot! Woot! Let’s meet this special animal first!

mouse lemur

IMG_3206

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/30

Location: Madagascar

Grey Mouse Lemur Fun Facts:

  • Grey mouse lemurs are the largest members of the mouse lemur family. It is still one of the smallest primates in the world.
  • They are arboreal and nocturnal.
  • They forage for food alone, but sleep in groups in trees during the night.

IMG_3207

  • Those long tails help the mouse lemur navigate their treetop homes.
  • They store fat in their tails during the dry season, when food may not be as plentiful.
  • Grey mouse lemurs enter a daily state of torpor during the dry season. Their body temperatures drop and metabolism slow down to conserve energy.

mouse lemur2

mouse lemur3

We enjoyed watching these tiny lemurs forage during the night! Good thing we have night goggles! We have enjoyed our time on this magical island! We will have to come back!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Civet Civet

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Civet Civet!

We spent the last nights of our adventure here in Madagascar looking for some really neat nocturnal animals! (And for those who asked- we are working on a glossary.)  We found the first of our discoveries on the forest floor looking for eats. This strange animal is so cool! We could hardly contain our excitement when we spotted it!

malagasy civet

IMG_3211

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/29

Location: Madagascar forest

Malagasy Civet Fun Facts:

  • Malagasy civets are shy animals.
  • They can be territorial. They scent mark their territories.
  • Malagasy civets are very vocal. They make a series of noises including grunts.
  • They spend their days asleep in trees and crevices.

IMG_3200

  • They are related to mongooses and fossa.
  • Malagasy civets are the second largest natural predator on Madagascar- the fossa is the largest.

malagasy civet2

We love these unusual little animals. They remind of us a raccoon and a fox put together! What do you think?

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

Howdy Gecko!

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Howdy Gecko!

What’s more fun than meeting a new friend right in your camp? When you’re out exploring, some of the coolest animals can be found wandering around your home base! In this case, we found the Madagascar Day Gecko on the porch!

day gecko

IMG_3094

Date: 3/27

Location: Madagascar- Base Camp

Madagascar Day Gecko:

  • Madagascar day geckos do not have eyelids.
  • They have flat toe pads to help them grip when climbing.
  • Madagascar day geckos are one of the largest day gecko species.

IMG_3095

  • They can range from green to bluish-green in color.
  • Madagascar day geckos prefer a humid habitat.

day gecko2

We had the best time watching these little reptiles at camp. They are so cute and funny!

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, education, nature, reptiles, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Old Bright Eyes!

Posted on March 23, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Old Bright Eyes!

We spent our last day at camp this week looking for a small amphibian with big bright eyes. Good thing we have binoculars, because spotting these tiny frogs was not easy!

frog3

IMG_3040

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/23

Location: Madagascar

Green bright-eyed frog fun facts:

  • Green bright eyed frogs have a blue ring around the outer iris.
  • They are green with little spots and can change their color to a more reddish tone.
  • Green bright eyed frogs have webbed feet.

IMG_3041

  • During breeding season males call during the night to look for a mate.
  • Females lay their eggs in water.

frog2

frog

 

 

 

 

 

We had lovely time exploring the forest for these tiny frogs. So many sightings of them and other fascinating creatures! We really love this place!

 

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

Give us a V for Parrot!

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Give us a V for Parrot!

We wanted to meet one of the parrots of Madagascar! We were lucky enough to spot them in the trees on our afternoon trek yesterday! Let’s all get to know this bird together!

vasa parrot

IMG_3023

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/22

Location: Madagascar

Greater Vasa Parrot Fun Facts:

  • Vasa Parrots are dark grey to black in color.
  • Their dark beaks turn bright white during breeding season.

IMG_3024

  • Females are dominate and live with 3 to 8 males. This social set-up is highly unusual in parrots.
  • Vasa parrot eggs only incubate for 18 days. It’s the shortest incubation period for any parrot.
  • They are known to be voracious eaters.
  • Vasa parrots are vocal and intelligent.

vasa parrot2

vasa parrot3

 

 

 

 

 

 

We loved watching this interesting birds! They are not heard of much in the US or in the pet trade. We love to see parrots in the wild!

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

Ghostly Sounds!

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Ghostly Sounds!

Today, we met another super awesome lemur today! They aren’t as crazy looking as the aye-aye we met last week, but they are just as cool.

indri

IMG_3009

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/21

Location: Madagascar

Indri Fun Facts:

  • Indri are the largest lemur on earth.
  • They are arboreal and diurnal.
  • The native Malagasy name for them is babakoto.
  • Indri leap in a upright position from tree to tree.

IMG_3010

  • Indri mate for life and live in small family groups.
  • Indri are known for their loud songs that can be sung several times a day! These songs/calls are as haunting as they are beautiful!
  • Indri are considered sacred among the native people of Madagascar.

indri3

indri2

 

 

 

 

 

 

We so enjoyed watching these amazing lemurs. Those calls are so loud! Unfortunately, Indri are critically endangered mostly due to habitat loss. It is crucial that we all work together to use our resources wisely! Let’s all recycle as much as possible!

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, Environment, mammals, nature, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One Tiny Lizard!

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

One Tiny Lizard!

We headed into the forest to look for one of smallest lizards in the world! Madagascar is home to many species of chameleons. We wanted to find some of the smaller ones- the brown leaf chameleon. It takes a good eye, some nice binoculars and a great guide to find these cute reptiles!

chameleon2

IMG_3008

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/20

Location: Madagascar

Brown Leaf Chameleon Fun Facts:

  • Brown leaf chameleons resemble dried up leaves on the forest floor.

IMG_3011

  • When threatened, they curl up their legs and tail and roll over on their side and stay perfectly still.
  • Like other chameleons their eyes move independently of each other.
  • Male brown leaf chameleons attract a female by rocking their body and nodding their head.
  • Professor Carl is showing us how long the brown leaf chameleon is!

IMG_3019

  • Brown leaf chameleons are not always brown! They can be olive, green, beige or red!
  • They have a stiff ridge running down their spine.
  • Brown leaf chameleons are diurnal.

chameleon

We had a lovely day exploring the forest. We had to walk carefully to watch for these small reptile predators. We love chameleons and their crazy eyeballs and funny feet!

 

Categories: adventure, Animals, Children, conservation, Environment, nature, reptiles, science, Today's Post, wildlife | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hello Little Tenrec!

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Hello Little Tenrec!

We spent our last day of the week in search of a very small mammal that looks like a hedgehog, but it’s not. The tenrec is found only in Madagascar and while they are similar they are not hedgehog relatives.

common tenrec

IMG_2892

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/16

Location: Madasgascar

Common Tenrec Fun Facts:

  • They are also known as the tailess tenrec. They are the largest tenrec species.
  • Common tenrecs do have a tail- up to 1 1/2 cm in length.
  • Tenrecs are related is not related to hedgehogs. It is thought that is related to elephants, aardvarks and manatees.
  • Tenrecs roll in a ball and have spines similar to hedgehogs, but they do not have the same strong muscle structure of a hedgehog.

IMG_2893

  • Tenrecs roll in sand to help them keep clean.
  • They can have up 32 babies at at time. All of the babies are born without spines.

common tenrec2

We love hedgehogs and their non cousin the tenrec! Can you believe that they might be related to Ellie? Who doesn’t love those cute little feet and funny ears!

 

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

Don’t Buzz Off Buzzard!

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Ellie and Edmond ©

Don’t Buzz Off Buzzard!

After sleeping in after our last two night adventures, we got up and did a little bird watching! We were happy to find one of Madagascar’s raptors!

madagascar buzzard2

IMG_2894

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: 3/15

Location: Madagascar

Madagascar Fun Facts:

  • Madagascar buzzards are old world buzzards.

IMG_2895

  • They call many parts of the island home, including forests, open forest and rocky hillsides.
  • Some lemurs have alarm calls for the buzzard, so some scientists think they may prey on them.
  • Madagascar buzzards have broad wings for soaring.
  • They have yellow eyes and talons.
  • Madagascar buzzards chicks are born in September and October.

madagascar buzzard

We had a lovely time watching a few of these buzzards soar in the skies. Raptors will never cease to amaze us!

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

Blog at WordPress.com.