Farewell Furry Friends!

Hello all!

As you know, our blog has been active for most of September, and we've posted about a different animal every day. Now we're going to 'retire', so we won't be on every day anymore. Of course, when we have time, we'll post occasionally about new animals. We won't totally abandon this awesome blog!

Thanks for taking a look at all of the amazing animal posts!

See you soon!
<3,

Buttons the horse and Maya the cat

P.S. Come and check on us sometimes! You never know, we might surprise you new fantastic animal info!

Giant Pandas

Isn't that so sweet?

(Image from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html)

Hi, it's Maya. Today I will be talking about Giant Pandas. Giant Pandas live in bamboo forests in the rainy mountains of southwestern China. They're one of the worlds rarest mammals. Only about 1,000 Giant Pandas remain in the wild. Isn't that sad? They eat almost nothing other than bamboo shoots and leaves. Sometimes they eat other vegetation, fish, or small animals, but 99 percent of their diet is bamboo shoots and leaves. Giant Pandas eat fast and eat alot, they spend about 12 hours of their day eating. They digest only around a fifth of what they eat. They have to eat up to 15 percent of their body weight to stay healthy. Pandas have to eat at least two different species of bamboo or they will starve. They're very shy and they don't normally go where humans are. Giant Pandas can live up to being 30 years old in captivity. Pandas weigh from 75 to 136 kilograms. The Chinese name for panda means "large bear-cat." Well that's all, bye!

The Dragonfly

A beautiful dragonfly perches for a split second

Image from http://www.slrphotographyguide.com

Dragonflies are extremely fast and agile insects. They zoom through the skies, and over lakes gracefully. It has large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of very strong transparent wings, and an elongated body. Dragonflies are very similar to Damselflies, but you can tell the difference by the fact that the wings of most dragonflies are held away from, and perpendicular to, the body when at rest. They have six legs, like any other insect, but can't walk that well. All their skills and strength are applied to their flying.
Females lay the eggs in or near water. They are often floating or on underwater plants. The eggs then hatch into nymphs. Most of a dragonfly's life is spent in the nymph form, beneath the water's surface. The larvae stage can last as long as 5 years. Using extendable jaws, they catch other invertebrates, like mosquito larvae, or sometimes even vertebrates such as tadpoles and fish. They breathe through gills.
Hope you liked learning about the magnificent dragonfly!

Hedgehogs

~What a cute hedgehog~

(Image from: http://www.jerseyhedgehogs.org.je/hedgehog4.jpg)

Hello, it's Maya. Today I will be doing hedgehogs. When hedgehogs curl up into little balls, they do it for protection. Curling up into a ball protects the parts of them that don't have prickly spines. Hedgehogs have prickly spines all over their bodies, except for on their face, bellies, and legs. Hedgehogs depend on their spines for defence, when they sleep and when they face enemies. When their predators approach, they roll up into small prickly balls. Most predators are unsuccessful at prying open the curled up balls, and just leave to look for easier prey. When hedgehogs are born, their spines are soft and short. Soon after birth their spines become thicker, harder, and longer. Hedgehogs eat insects, small mice, snails, lizards, frogs, eggs, carrion, and even snakes! Hedgehogs mainly stay on ground, but they actually can swim and climb trees quite well. When they want they get out of a tree, quickly, they just jump. Because of their prickly spines, when they land they bounce and remain unhurt. Isn't that cool? The average heartbeat for a hedgehog is 190 beats a minute, but when they are hibernating it is only 20 beats a minute! Hedgehogs are often kept as pets, they will eat any household and garden pests. The normal lifespan of a hedgehog is about 7 years. I hope you liked this!
                                         
                                 ~Maya~

The Tokay Gecko

A Tokay Gecko 'grins' at the camera

Image from: http://www.the-lizard-lounge.com

The Tokay Gecko is the second largest species of gecko, growing up to 30-40cm in length. It is nocturnal, which means it is most active at night. They have a bluish gray body, with spots ranging from yellow  to red. The males are solitary and aggressive. Tokay geckos are considered the 'pit bull' of the geckos species, because of their fierceness. The often bite and won't let go for a few minutes. The even rarely hold on for up to an hour or so. Many people like them as pets, although they aren't really the ideal animal to cuddle and play with. It's probably because they look nice that people keep them. It id the best ornamental animal for experienced reptile owners.
The mating call of the Tokay Gecko is a loud croak, which kind of sounds like "tokeh" or "geck geck".
Their typical life span is 7-10 years.
 In the Philippines it is respected and valued as it eats dangerous pests such as scorpions and centipedes.
Hop you enjoyed learning about the Tokay Gecko!

Koalas

Koala mother and joey

                           Image from: http://www.americapeals.com/

Hi, it's Maya. Today I am going to talk about koalas. Koalas are marsupials, related to kangaroos. Newborn koalas are called joeys. Koalas have thick woolly fur that protects them from hot and cold weather, it also acts as a raincoat. People used to hunt koalas for their fur, now strict law prohibits that. They're protected, but their habitat isn't, it's disappearing as land is being developed. Sadly, more than four-fifths of original koala habitat has been destroyed, many people are doing what they can to protect the remaining habitat. Koalas spend maximum 18 hours a day napping and sleeping. They generally smell like cough drops because of their diet of eucalyptus leaves. There are many eucalyptus trees, koalas will only eat from a few of these. Koalas like many different areas of eucalyptus leaves. Koalas from the southern areas of Australia are bigger and have thicker fur than their northern relatives. Female koalas are smaller than male koalas. The koala has large, sharp claws to assist with climbing tree trunks. Weight varies from about 14 kg (31 lb) for a large southern male, to about 5 kg (11 lb) for a small northern female. Koalas live in trees, occasionally coming down to the ground to seek shade or another tree. They sometimes jump from one tree to another. Koalas have grayish fur and furry white chests, inner arms, and ears. They have big furry ears and leathery noses. The word koala may come from an Aboriginal word meaning drink. Koalas don't actually drink when necessary, the get most of the moisture they need from leaves. Hope you enjoyed this, bye!
Maya the Cat,

Ring-Tailed Lemurs

Sleeping Lemurs, so cute :)

                                 Image from: http://tangledwing.wordpress.com/

Hi, Maya here. Today I will be doing Ring-Tailed Lemurs. Ring-Tailed Lemurs are very social animals, they spend most of their time in groups of 15-20 lemurs. They spend many hours just sitting down and soaking up the sun. Groups of lemurs are also known as  "Troops". When female lemurs and male lemurs get into arguments, the female lemurs always wins. Ring-Tailed Lemurs spend more time on the ground, rather than in trees, than any other species of lemur. Lemurs are primates and are related to monkeys and apes.  Lemurs are endangered, mainly because of habitat destruction. One of the lemur's main predators is the catlike fossa, the largest carnivore in Madagascar. Lemurs live only in the wild on the African Island of Madagascar and a few neighboring islands. Lemurs use their comblike front teeth to groom themselves and other lemurs. Ring-Tailed Lemurs' hind legs are longer than their front legs, so when they walk on all four of their legs, they're back is tilted downwards. That's all I have to say, Goodbye!


Maya the Cat,