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Jefferson Salamander - Amphibians

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 08:07:05 -0400

When Jefferson salamanders are threatened, they have some pretty cool ways to protect themselves. For example, they have a gland at the base of their tail that can ooze a toxic substance. They can also tuck their heads under their tails and flip away from their predator. Perhaps their coolest defense tactic happens when they detach their tail. After the tail has been separated, it wiggles and twitches, distracting the predator and letting the Jefferson salamander make a safe get away.

Unfortunately, there is something that threatens them that they are defenseless against: Habitat loss. Wetlands are home to many animals, like the Jefferson salamander, that can't survive without this habitat. Here are some ideas of how you can help protect wetlands and the animals that live in them.

Make sure you practice the 3Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle.That way you can do your part to reduce the amount of litter that can destroy habitats like wetlands.
If you find yourself in a wetland, make sure you stick to the pre-existing paths. When you go wondering off on your own you can disturb these protected areas.
You can sign up for a Bring Back the Wild campaign for the Oregon Spotted Frog. Your campaign will help restore wetlands and protect the most endangered amphibian in Canada!

Black Flies - Insects

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 13:31:07 -0400

Black flies probably aren't your favourite insect because, well, they bite! They are blood suckers whose presence can certainly ruin your perfect outdoor vacation.

There are over 1,250 species of black flies around the world and at least 110 in Canada. They love northern wooded areas and their swarms can reach enormous sizes in spring and early summer. When looking for a meal, they will fly up to 10 miles from their breeding sites, but with the help of the wind they can fly even farther. Their average lifespan is about three weeks and there can be up to four generations per year!

The question is, how do we know so much about these tiny bugs that drive people crazy? Well, it’s thanks to people like Dr. Doug Currie! He is an entomology curator for the Royal Ontario Museum, which means his job is to study insects, especially black flies. Dr. Doug Currie has traveled from Canada all the way to eastern Siberia to learn all about, you guessed it, black flies! Take a look at this video to see some of the cool stuff he's learned and maybe be inspired to find out more about insects. Who knows you could be the next entomologist just like Dr. Doug Currie!

A Tuatara Meal - Feeding

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:33:09 -0400

After watching this video you might think you have just seen a lizard having a tasty snack, but in fact it is a tuatara, which are sometimes called living fossils! Tuataras are the only living members of the order Rhynchocephalia, although they make look like lizards there are some key differences. While lizards need warm weather, tuataras prefer lower temperatures. You will rarely see a lizard walking around at night, but you can definitely spot tuataras! Tuataras also have a third eye on the top of their head. It is really small and more visible in younger tuataras because as they age it gets covered by scales. This third eye isn't meant for seeing but it does help them judge the time of day because it is sensitive to light.

Unfortunately, much of the tuatara's habitat is limited to islands around New Zealand. But, thanks to breeding programs that are reintroducing them, hatchlings have been found on the mainland, giving new hope for the future of the tuatara.

Tropical Forest Frogs - Amphibians

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 08:49:17 -0400

There are about 5000 species of frogs and toads on Earth-- most of these species are found in tropical forests! These warm, humid environments provide some pretty ideal habitats for these adorable amphibians.

With so many different species of frogs and toads in the tropical forests, it shouldn't be too surprising to learn that the amount of diversity in this family of animals is nothing if not incredible! There are burrowing frogs, terrestrial frogs, aquatic frogs and tree frogs, all of which take advantage of different habitats and food sources. Because of the high humidity in tropical forests, the majority of the frogs there live in trees and lay eggs in foam nests in crevices on plants or on the forest floor, rather than in the water. This way they can stay safe from aquatic predators!

Some of the most famous tropical frogs are the small, brightly coloured poison dart frogs, the voracious South American horned frogs, and of course, red eyed tree frogs!

Colourful Python - Reptiles

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:00:20 -0400

Snakes can have some of the most interesting and beautiful skins. Get up close and personal with this python and check out its amazing pattern and colour.

A Feast for Insects - Feeding

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:49:40 -0400

Like you, insects need food to survive and what’s better than a dead animal body?! As gross as that might seem to you, these decomposing insects play an important role without which the ecosystem would be in big trouble.

Reptile Snack - Feeding

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:54:32 -0500

It isn't easy being as delicious as a grasshopper!

These insects are a popular source of food other animals, such as reptiles. What makes it even tougher to survive as a grasshopper is the fact that some of those reptiles have evolved some pretty spectacular hunting strategies! Well camouflaged chameleons, for example, can flick out a long sticky tongue in the blink of an eye to catch an unwary grasshopper for a snack. Could you imagine if people could do that with their tongues? You'd be able to grab the last slice from a pizza box before anyone even knew you were in the room!

Leopard Frog Waiting - Animal Cam

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:52:56 -0500

Good things come to those that wait, especially if those waiting are ambush predators like northern leopard frogs!

Leopard frogs may look pretty adorable with their characteristic spots and buggy eyes, but don't be fooled! Those bulging eyes are a key part of the hunting strategy that makes leopard frogs such successful hunters. By having large eyes set far apart and on the tops of their heads, leopard frogs are able to see in almost all directions around them at once, even when mostly submerged in water. This way they can avoid predators (or kids out frog catching!), and keep a constant watch out for prey like insects, smaller frogs and even garter snakes. As soon as their prey wanders into striking range, the frogs will quickly pounce and gobble it down!

An Anaconda Squeezing - Feeding

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:26:42 -0500

The anaconda isn't quite the world's longest snake (that honour belongs to the reticulated python), but it is by far the heaviest. These massive reptiles can tip the scales at over 90 kilograms-- that's about as much as 20 medium sized bowling balls!

These stocky snakes are packed with powerful muscles that are used to constrict their prey. Anacondas will literally squeeze smaller animals to death before gulping them down whole. So the next time a friend or family member catches you up in a great big bear hug, be thankful it's not a great big anaconda hug instead!

Spider and Scorpion - Animal Cam

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 13:17:48 -0500

What has sixteen legs and can offer you a ride? Nope, it's not four horses. It's the scorpion and spider from this video!

Despite looking very different from each other, spiders and scorpions are actually pretty closely related. Both of these creepy crawlies come from the arachnid family, in which nearly all species have eight legs. This is one of the easiest ways to tell if the bug you're looking at is an insect or an arachnid, but you can also tell by checking to see if your particular specimen has any wings or antennae-- only insects have those nifty features!