On Monday, the entire second grade was treated to a very special treat! Derek Small, of Wildlife Encounters, brought with him several animal friends that each play a vital role in our ecosystem.
The final animal Derek showed us was a THREE-BANDED ARMADILLO. Armadillos are found in warmer climates and are able to protect themselves from predators by rolling into a ball of their armor (they're actually the only kind of armadillo that can actually roll entirely into a ball!). These creatures help aerate the soil as they dig deep looking for bugs and worms. Soil also helps the armadillos with temperature regulation, providing a nice, cool place the shield themselves from the sun's powerful rays.
The next animal we were introduced to was an AFRICAN GIANT BULLFROG named Jelly Belly! While Jelly Belly ways about one pound, this species of bullfrog can weigh up to ten pounds! These terrestrial amphibians live their lives in cycles of two seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. During the rainy season, eggs are laid and hatched (each frog proudicing between 3,000 and 5,000 babies!). For the dry season, which living in southern Africa makes up about 3/4 of the year, these giant frogs have very special adaptations to help them survive. Burrowing into an underground "mud chamber", they spend the dry season living 2-3 feet deep in the ground where it is cooler and moist.
Up next was the BANDED KING SNAKE. While this reptile has about the same body temperature as us, he requires heat from the sun to keep him at that temperature. Everyone was dying to know if this snake was venomnous (thankfully it is not!), but it can actually eat venomnous snakes such as rattlesnakes!
New to the Wildlife Encounters Family, we were excited to meet our next guest: a PRAIRIE DOG! This rodent, was unfortunately brought to Wildlife Encounters by NH Fish & Game as it was being kept as a pet illegally. Prairie dogs are "deep miners" and helped build the soil substrate which allows us humans to be so successful. They help aerate and fertilize the soil allowing plants to thrive! While this little guy didn't have much to say to us, it was fascinating to learn that prairie dogs have a very complex system of communication---their very own language!
The next animals we were introduced to were actually insects. These MADAGASCAR HISSING COCKROACHES are responsible for breaking down decaying plants, which gives us the richest compost. These cockroaches love warm, moist, dark places. If you are very quiet, you can hear their "hissssss". Derek recruited a brave second grader with a familiar face to help show off these tiny creatures!
The final animal we were introduced to, which holds a special place in my heart, was a CHINCHILLA! Native to the Andes Mountain Range, these animals are their own farmers! They have the ability to grow their own food! Living in a volcanic habitat, their food source is often wiped out by lava flow. To rebuild their home, chinchillas hop down the mountains, eat plants, hop back up the mountain, poop (up to 50 times a day!) and use their large back feed to "plant" the discarded seeds. Pretty impressive for little balls of fluff!
After meeting this chinchilla, I was excited to share with our class that I used to be the owner of a pet chinchilla! While I would not recommend having a chinchilla as a pet (they are very active, social animals who require a LOT of attention!), Willy was a wonderful addition to my home for a very long time!
After meeting all of the animal friends and learning all of this fascinating information, Derek allowed students to use a "two-finger touch" to pet the chinchilla. So fun!
Thank you Wildlife Encounters for bringing such a great presentation to us to enhance our earth science unit!
