Animal Facts

With these new animals it brings me up to 340 facts. Well we are getting there. As long as I can post on time I should be able to make it to the 1000 facts.

1.) When Tasmanian Devils are stressed they release a foul odor but not when they are calmed and relaxed.

2.) Tasmanian Devils will eat anything no matter how old or rotten.

3.) Because of their powerful teeth and jaws a Tasmanian Devil can eat most of a carcass including the bones.

4.) Tasmanian Devils give birth to about 50 babies the size of rice. Then they have to climb 3 inches into the mothers pouch. Once there only 4 can survive.

5.) The Tasmanian Devil can walk for 16km.

6.) They have bad eye sight and walk rather clumsily.

7.) A Tasmanian mouth opens very wide to express fear and uncertainty.

8.) A Tasmanian devil uses a sharp sneeze to challenge other devils, especially before a fight.

9.) The Tasmanian Devil’s pouch opens backward so dirt does not enter while it is digging.

10.) The Tasmanian Devil got its name from early settlers who thought its vicious screaming and fierce looks were like that of a devil. 1.) A group of Rhinos are called a crash.

2.) A black rhino can run up to 40 miles per hour.

3.) Did you know that the black rhino is actually grey? They sometimes look darker when they have been wallowing in mud.

4.) Black rhinos need to drink fresh water every day, and spend a lot of time wallowing in waterholes to help keep themselves cool. The mud sticks to their skin, and acts as protection from the sun's baking heat.

5.) The black rhino is also known as the hook-lipped rhinoceros, as their upper lip sticks out beyond their lower one. They are herbivores, and use their pointed top lip to browse on leaves, buds, shoots and twigs.

6.) White rhinos have a hump of muscle on their necks and shoulders to hold up a head that can weigh 800 to 1,000 pounds.

7.) Rhinos may look indestructible, but their skin is actually quite sensitive, especially to sunburn and biting insects. That's why they like to wallow in mud.

8.) Rhinos have poor eyesight, but acute senses of hearing and smell.

9.) A rhinoceros can sleep either standing or lying down.

10.) A black rhinoceros has a pointed upper lip whereas the white rhinoceros has a squared lip. This difference has to do with their diets.

Factual Friday on a Sunday....

Ok I know I am late again. I swear I am going to get this done on time again. I hope that you are enjoying the animal facts. I find them really interesting. I just wish that I had more time in the day to devote to them. This weeks animals that I did were Zebra's and Sea Lions. 1.) At first glance zebras in a herd might all look alike, but their stripe patterns are as distinctive as fingerprints are in man. Scientists can identify individual zebras by comparing patterns, stripe widths, color and scars.

2.) Zebra's live in family groups made up of a stallion, several mares and their offspring.

3.) Zebra's have excellent hearing and eyesight. They can run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.

4.) A zebra's eyesight at night is thought to be about as good as that of a cat or an owl.

5.) Zebras take dust or mud baths to get clean. They shake the dirt off to get rid of loose hair and flaky skin. What's left protects them from sun, wind, and insects.

6.) Zebras have their own “smile”—a bared-teeth grimace that is a greeting and helps prevent aggression.

7.) Zebras are attracted to black-and-white stripes. Even if stripes are painted on a wall, a zebra will tend to go stand next to it!

8.) They communicate using the position of their ears and tail.

9.) Their shiny coats can dissipate three quarters of incoming heat.

10.) Ancient Romans kept zebras in their circuses and called them "Horse-Tigers" because of their strips. In Europe Zebras would sometimes pull the carriages of royalty and the wealthy.

1.) There is only two differences between a Seal and a Sea Lion. The Sea lion has ears and a seal does not. Also a Sea lion can move it hind flippers to walk on land and a seal can not.

2.) Sea Lions do not need to drink water because they get all of their water from the food they eat.

3.) A group of Sea lions in the water is called a raft. On land or floating ice they are called a colony.

4.) Sea Lions can swim up to 25 miles per hour for short bursts.

5.) Sea Lion pups are born on land called rookery.

6.) A sea lion dives up to 600 feet in search of food. They can stay under water for 40 minutes.

7.) Stellar Sea Lions are the largest of the sea lions. They have thick, hairy necks that look like lions mane.

8.) California sea lions are among the most vocal mammals, Their vocalizations include barks, roars, growls, and grunts.

9.) Male Steller sea lions don’t eat during the breeding season. They care more about protecting their territory and making sure their females don’t run off with another male!

10.) Each long whisker, called a vibrissa, is loosely attached to the sea lion’s upper lip. Like a straw in a soda bottle, each whisker can rotate around with the underwater currents, letting the sea lion "feel" any food swimming nearby.

Ok so I should be back on friday with another list, hopefully. LOL.

And now back to the fact list.....

I know that I have been missing on doing these fact list. I am very determined to stay on top of them now. So after this they will go back to their regular schedule of Friday's.
1.) The tigers saliva is antiseptic and comes in handy for cleaning their wounds.

2.) Tigers do not purr.

3.) Tigers move both legs on one side of the body almost simultaneously when they walk.

4.) The tiger's stripes form what is called disruptive camouflage, which is an illusion that appears to change their shape and blend them into their surroundings.

5.) A group of tigers is called a Streak.

6.) Tigers are the largest naturally occurring species of cats.

7.) A tiger's stripes are like fingerprints - no two are alike. In fact the stripes' pattern is often used to identify individual tigers in the wild.

8.) Tigers are largely muscular and rely on stealth and power to bring down a prey rather than speed. Like other big cats most tiger ambushes are unsuccessful.

9.) An adult male tiger in the wild requires around one hundred and fifty kilograms of meat a month.

10.) Tigers are perhaps the most notorious big cat for man-eating. In fact the single greatest man-eater is history is believed to be the Champawat Tigress who killed over four hundred thirty people in India decades ago until she was finally killed by the great Jim Corbett.

1.) The flamingos eye is LARGER than its brain!!

2.) What we call their knees are really their ankles.

3.) Flamingos eat with their head upside down in the water, so they can suck water and food in with the front of their bill.

4.) Flamingos live an average of 20 to 30 years.

5.) Nests are built up by mouthfuls of mud!

6.) Flamingoes can drink water from geysers at temperatures that are almost boiling.

7.) Although flamingos are tropical or subtropical, there is one species that lives high in the Andes Mountains of South America.

8.) The color of a flamingo’s legs differs from species to species.

9.) Flamingoes have been known to fly up to 600 km in one night (373 miles).

10.) Flamingo vocalizations range from nasal honking to grunting to growling. Check out this video that I got of them at the zoo the other day.



I hope that you all enjoy these facts and make sure to check back in at the end of the week for more facts.

Fact List Time.....

1.) Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.

2.) Turkeys can drown if they look up when it is raining.

3.) A wild turkey has excellent vision and hearing. Their field of vision is about 270 degrees. This is the main reason they continue to elude some hunters.

4.) Turkeys’ heads change colors when they become excited

5.) Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clicking noise.

6.) The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds -- about the size of a large German Shepherd -- and was grown in England.

7.) Gobbling turkeys can be heard a mile away on a quiet day.

8.) Domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys, however, can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. They can also reach speeds of 25 miles per hour on the ground.

9.) Turkeys sometimes spend the night in trees.

10.) Domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys, however, can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. They can also reach speeds of 25 miles per hour on the ground.
1.) Otters are found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia.

2.) Otters are the only marine mammals that have fur instead of blubber. Otters must groom their coats constantly to keep them from becoming matted. A grown otter's fur can contain up to one billion hairs.

3.) Otters mark their territory with droppings called spraints that have a very distinctive odor that resembles fresh mown hay.

4.) Sea otters are often referred to as "Old Men of the Sea" because they have long white whiskers on their face.

5.) When baby sea otters are born they are almost as big as their mother.

6.) Otters can dive down over 55 feet when they are chasing a tasty fish. That’s more than eight times deeper than a swimming pool.

7.) River otters can hold their breath for up to 8 minutes.

8.) Eyes of river otters have special lenses that aid in underwater vision.

9.) Old male river otters often have white body fur.

10.) River otters have ears and nose with a special skin that closes and keeps them watertight underwater.

Any one have ideas of what we could do for our next animals. What would you like to see us do for the fact list. Just leave me a message and I will try to get them done.

Fact Time

As usual I fell behind again on the list. So to make up for it I will add in some extra entries over the next few weeks.
1.) Three hundred and twenty-eight different species of parrots live on the Earth.

2.) Parrots have a wide range of articulations. Wild parrots do not imitate. Only pets will mimic people and noises they hear. The African gray parrots are the best mimics.

3.) In the wild, Macaws and Cockatoos can fly 500 miles per day in search of food! Some parrot vocalizations can be heard for up to 1 mile!

4.) Larger parrots such as the macaws and cockatoos live more than 75 years.

5.) Smaller parrots live 10 to 15 years.

6.) Parrots weigh from just a few ounces to 3½ pounds.

7.) Parrots cannot eat chocolate because it is poisonous to their body.

8.) While eating, parrots hold their food in one of their feet, which can be either left or right, making parrots left as well as right handed.

9.) Parrots are zygodactyls i.e. they have four toes on each foot. Two of their toes point forward and two point backward.

10.) Parrots, when not nesting, live in groups known as flocks and are prone to squawking and screaming.

1.) There are two types of camels: the Bactrian (or Asian) camel, which has two humps and the Dromedary (or Arabian) camel, has one hump.

2.) It is illegal to hunt camels in the state of Arizona.

3.) Now, central Australia is home to the last remaining herds of wild camels in the world. Australia even exports camels back to the Middle East.

4.) The camel's nickname "Ships of the Desert" comes from their walk. Like a giraffe, the camel moves both legs on one side of its body at the same time, then the other side. The rolling motion resembles a ship at sea.

5.) Camels can be milked, but the flavour is an acquired taste. Dairy herds are kept in parts of the Middle East.

6.) Llamas are very closely related to camels. In fact a camel cross llama was bred in Dubai in 1997. It was called Rama the Cama.

7.) They can close their nostrils to keep sand out.

8.) A camel can run for several hours without stopping!

9.) A camels' stomach has three sections.

10.) The hump on a camel is mostly a lump of fat.

Up next for our animals are a Turrkey and the Otter. Check back soon for them.

Fact List (actually on time)

1.) Old cows in India have their own nursing homes.

2.) A 1000 pound cow produces an average 10 TONS of manure every year!

3.) Cows have almost total 360-degree panoramic vision.

4.) There are an estimated 920 different breeds of cows in the world.

5.) Cows can detect odors up to five miles away.

6.) There are approximately 350 "squirts" in a gallon of milk.

7.) A dairy cow can produce 5 gallons of ice cream a day.

8.) The age of a cow can be determined by counting the rings on its horns.

9.) In an average herd, there is 1 bull to every 30 cows.

10) Wisconsin has the most dairy cows, Texas the most beef cows.

1.) Pigs were domesticated around 7,000 BC. They were the first animals to ever be used domestically.

2.) A domesticated pig has approximately 15,000 taste buds, which is more than any other mammal, including humans.

3.) The gestation period of a pig is 3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days, or 115 days in total.

4.) The largest pig that has ever been recorded weighed 2,552 pounds. It was a boar called Big Bill and he was 5 feet high and 9 feet long.

5.) A pig's squeal can make your ears throb because they can squeal louder than the sound of a supersonic Concorde – up to 115 decibels.

6.) Pigs are one of the only animals other than a light-haired horse that can get sunburn.

7.) A full grown pig can drink up to 14 gallons of water a day!

8.) It only takes about 160 days to raise a pig to a market weight of 220 pounds!

9.) Manhattan Island had a long solid wall constructed on the northern edge to control roaming herds of pigs. This area is known as Wall Street today.

10.) There are 9 major breeds of pigs: Yorkshire, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Berkshire, Spotted, Chester White, Poland China and Pietrain.

For next week Sam choose the animals to learn about. He wants to see what we can learn about for parrots and camels. Curious, check back in later.

Fact list, a few days late.

1.) Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.

2.) While most turtles do not tolerate the cold well, the Blanding's turtle has been observed swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region.

3.) Turtles will live in almost any climate warm enough to allow them to complete their breeding cycle.

4.) Turtles have good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell. Hearing and sense of touch are both good and even the shell contains nerve endings.

5.) Turtles have been on the earth for more than 200 million years. They evolved before mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and even lizards.

6.) The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different bones all connected together.

7.) Sea turtles excrete salt absorbed in sea water from their eyes, which is why they seem to cry.

8.) Age 80 is middle-aged for galapagos tortoises.

9.) Two galapagos tortoises will fight over territory or a female mate by seeing who can stretch their neck higher over the other.

10.) When in the eggs, turtles take about 2 months to incubate and their sex is determined by the temperature. Under 29 degrees they become male, over 29 degrees they become female.

1.) The most dangerous scorpion is the "Deathstalker" or Leiurus quinquestriatus which is prevalent in North Africa and the Middle east.

2.) Scorpions glow when exposed to an unltraviolet light, like a blacklight, due to flourescent chemicals in the cuticle.

3.) During courtship the scorpions grasp the pedipalps (pincers) and preferm a dance called the "promenade à deux."

4.) Scorpions don't bite they "sting."

5.) There are more than 1500 species of scorpion worldwide.

6.) Even though there are over 1500 species of scorpion, only 25 can kill people.

7.) California and Arizona have the greatest diversity of scorpions with about 60 species.

8.) Scorpions kill over a thousand people a year in Mexico.

9.) Some scorpions can live a year without food or water.

10.) Scorpions are arachnids, which means that they are related to animals such as spiders, ticks, mites and harvestmen.


Ok so the list was actually a week late. Ooops! To catch up I am going post another list tomorrow. Actually on the day it is due. I know, I know shocking right. LOL. This time I think that I am kind of going to do a farm theme. I am going to do pigs and cows. See you tomorrow.

Fact Time

So sorry that I posted just pictures at first. I accidently hit enter after putting the title on so it posted just the pictures. Now I have updated and added the facts. I hope that you all enjoy it.

1.) When an eagle loses a feather on one wing it loses a matching one on the opposite wing so that it can stay balanced.

2.) A Bald Eagle can reach a speed of up to 200 miles per hour when diving through the air to grab a meal.

3.) The Largest known eagle's nest was found in Florida. It was 9 feet across, 20 feet deep, and wieghed over 2 tons.

4.) When chosing a mate, Bald Eagles perform a dance in the sky. They lock on to each others talons and tumble and twist in the air. At the last second they will let go just before reaching the ground.

5.) Bald Eagles can only lift half their body weight. If they find a fish that wieghs more than that they will hold on to it with their talons and "swim" to shore using their massive wings.

6.) Bald Eagles occasionally hunt cooperatively, with one individual flushing prey towards another.

7.) Both male and female bald eagles will take up to 5 years to get their white head. Once they have their white head, they are considered to be mature or adults. Young bald eagles are brown or blotchy brown all over.

8.) Bald eagles are large birds measuring between 31 and 37 inches in height with a wingspan of six feet or more! An adult will weigh between 8 and 12 pounds.

9.) The birds' scientific name, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, means "white-headed sea eagle".

10.) One to three eggs are laid, hatching in about 35 days. Normally, only one chick survives to fly from the nest. When food resources are abundant as many as three eaglets may fledge from the same nest.

1.) Elephants drink 30 gallons of water a day. That would be like us drinking 480 glasses of water a day. Hope you are thirsty.

2.) The Largest elephant on record was an adult male african elephant. It weighed about 24,000 pounds and was 13 feet tall at the shoulder.

3.) The calls elephants make can be heard up to five miles away.

4.) Elephants have been relentlessly hunted for their tusks, even they are made of dentine-the same as our teeth.

5.) Elphants get plenty of fiber in their diets. They eat 220 to 440 pounds of vegetation every day. They like grass, fruit, leaves, and even tree bark.

6.) Stomach growls are welcome in polite elephant society. Their stomachs make loud rumbling and growling noises that signal everything is good.

7.) There are more than 4o,ooo muscles in the elephants trunk. An elephant's trunk is so strong it can push down tree's yet agile enough to pick up a single piece of straw.

8.) Elephants can poop up to 80 pounds a day. So glad that I do not have to change their diapers. LOL

9.) Elephants can run up to 24 miles per hour. For short distances only though.

10.) Elephants demonstrate concern for members of their families they take care of weak or injured members and appear to grieve over a dead companion.

1.) Horned Lizards squirt blood from tiny blood vessels in their eyes to scare away enemies.

2.) Several types of lizards are able to escape from an enemy by breaking off part of their tails. The tail will grow back over time but never look the same.

3.) Geckos make chirping and clicking noises to defend their territory or attract a mate.

4.) The six-lined racerunner holds the record for the fastest speed reached by any reptile on land: 18 miles per hour.

5.) The heaviest lizard is the Komodo Dragon and can weigh up to 176 pounds.

6.) The lightest lizard is the dwarf gecko, it weighs only 120 milligrams.

7.) The Madagascan Chameleon has a sticky tipped tongue which it can shoot out farther than the length of its body.

8.) Marine Iguana's spend most of their lives underwater. They sometimes come out though to rest on the sandy beaches.

9.) People of Central and South America eat the native green iguanas. They are called Gallina De Palo, or "Chicken of the Tree".

10.) The Komodo dragon can consume up to 80 percent of its body weight in one meal.

Check in next for the 2 new animals. Know anything about turtles and scorpions. Come learn with us.

A little delayed fact list.....

Oh when things get out of control all kinds of things get left behind. I really have not ment to neglect the blog but I have. Sorry. It has been a lot of fun doing these fact list and since we feel a little behind on them I get to play catch up. So this entry and the next one I do will have three animals instead of two. Then I will go back to doing just two at a time again.

1.) A group of monkeys is called a Barrel.

2.) The tip of a spider monkey's tail can support its entire weight.

3.) All monkeys like to be clean so they have a barber monkey who cleans out their fur. The barber monkey's reward is the bugs from the other monkey's fur.

4.) There are about 125 species of monkeys.

5.) Patas Monkey's can run up to 31 miles per hour on the ground.

6.) Allen Swamp Monkeys lay leaves on top of the water to catch the fish that hide below.

7.) Rhesus antigens found in their blood enabled doctors to identify the different human blood groups.

8.) Monkeys do not catch colds, but apes do.

9.) Monkeys don't eat the peals of their bananas. They peel them before eating them.

10.) Among leaf-eating colobus monkeys, like the Angolan black-and-white colobus Colobus angolensis, burping is a friendly social gesture.

1.) Lemurs are a special kind of primate called prosimians. Prosimians are the oldest primate group. Prosimian means “before the monkeys.” The eyes of prosimians are close to the front of their faces. This allows them to see better and control things.

2.) Lemur's fingers and toes have flat nails, except the second toe, which has a stout claw.

3.) Lemurs were the first primates to evolve.

4.) Lemurs are the most endangered primates.

5.) There are 32 different kinds of lemurs that exist today. Sixteen species have become extinct.

6.) Baby lemurs stay with their mom for two years. Half of all lemurs born each year die.

7.) The male lemurs have scent glands in their armpits and their forearms. They rub their tail on the glands until it is smelly and then they wave the tail at the other lemur. This is a nice way of fighting without the lemurs getting hurt. This is called a stink fight.

8.) The largest lemur is the Indri and it weighs about 15 pounds. The dwarf mouse lemur is the smallest primate.

9.) On Africa, Prosimians were forced to go out at night to avoid smarter primates. Lemurs went to Madagascar to get away from the smarter primates. Lemurs crossed to the island on ‘rafts’ of plants and wood. The island was hundreds of miles away from Africa when they started their journey. On Madagascar, lemurs did not have any predators until humans came and hunted them.

10.) On Africa, Prosimians were forced to go out at night to avoid smarter primates. Lemurs went to Madagascar to get away from the smarter primates. Lemurs crossed to the island on ‘rafts’ of plants and wood. The island was hundreds of miles away from Africa when they started their journey. On Madagascar, lemurs did not have any predators until humans came and hunted them.

1.) A new born giraffe measures about 6 feet.

2.) The tongue of an adult giraffe measures 27".

3.) Every step a giraffe takes is 15 feet in length.

4.) Giraffes sleep for no more than 5 to 30 minutes in 24 hours.

5.) Neck wrestling matches are often held to show authority in their herds.

6.) A large male giraffe can eat up to 100 pounds of food in a single day.

7.) A giraffes age can be calculated from its spots, as the darker the spots, the older the giraffe.

8.) A giraffe's heart is 24 pounds in weight and 2 feet in length.

9.) The giraffe's scientific name is camelopardalis. This is the Latin version of cameleopard.

10.) Have a four chambered stomach and will regurgitate their food for additional chewing – similarly to a cow.

So the lucky three for next time is going be lizards, eagles, and elephants. Can not wait, hope you check back in for it. See you then.

Fact List Time.....

Ok this weeks choice was donated by Dh. He choose Llamas and Rabbits. It should be an interesting list.

To Start with here are the Llamas.

1.) The “lama” family has four branches: Alpacas, Guanacos, Llamas and Vicuñas.

2.) The Llama is actually a cousin to the Camel.

3.) A conditioned llama can carry approximately 25% to 30% of its body weight, making a llama as strong, if not stronger, than a horse.

4.) They carry 70-120 pounds and are not ridden except by children.

5.) 3,000 to 5,000 years ago Llamas were domesticated in Peru. This makes them among the oldest domesticated animals in the world.

6.) With their highly efficient three-chambered stomach, llamas cost less to maintain than the family dog!

7.) Llamas are "environmentally friendly" animals. Their feet, comprised of soft pads with two toenails, impact the environment less than the boots of an average hiker.

8.) There is little odor to a llama and their manure is almost odor free as well. Because it is low in nitrogen, it makes for a great fertilizer.

9.) The most common sound a llama makes is a soft humming sound. The sound is so soothing that in Peru it is called "praying".

10.) Llamas are considered "domestic livestock" by the Government, not exotic animals.

Next up.....Rabbits

Ok I have to say something about this picture. (As usual found on google) It is angora rabbit. That is the furriest rabbit that I have ever seen. To Funny.

1.) A group of rabbits is called a herd.

2.) Rabbit droppings make an excellent garden fertilizer (Team them with a Llama and your gardens should grow great.)

3.) A 4 pound rabbit will drink as much water as a 20 pound dog.

4.) Rabbits can see behind them, but have blind spot in front of their face.

5.) The only place a rabbit sweats is through the pads on its feet.

6.) When rabbits are happy, they will jump and twist, this is called a binky

7.) A male rabbit is a buck. A female rabbit is a doe. A baby rabbit is a kit.

8.) The world record for the rabbit high jump is 1 meter.

9.) The world record for the record long jump is 3 meters. That's over 9 feet!

10.) The largest litter of baby rabbits is 24. It has happened twice. Once in 1978 and again in 1999.

A bonus fact about Rabbits-- Biggest bunny: 26 lbs., 7 oz.!

Ok that is it for this weeks Factual Friday. Check back next week to see Lemurs and Monkeys.

Fact List Time.....

Ready for some more fun facts. This week we have lions and Kangaroos. The Lions.....

1.) Lions are the only truly social cat species, and usually every female in a pride of 5-37 individuals is closely related.

2.) An adult lion's roar can be heard up to five miles away and warns off intruders or reunites scattered pride members.

3.) Although only one out of four hunting events is successful, dominant males always eat first, lionesses next, and cubs scramble for scraps and leftovers.

4.) Most lions drink water daily if available, but can go four or five days without it. Lions in arid areas seem to obtain needed moisture from the stomach contents of their prey.

5.) When males take over a pride, they usually kill the cubs. The females come into estrus and the new males sire other cubs.

6.) Tigers are lions' closest relatives. Without their coats, lion and tiger bodies are so similar that only experts can tell them apart.

7.) A male coalition rarely holds onto a pride longer than two to three years before being run off by fierce challengers.

8.) For short distances lions can reach speeds of 50 miles per hour.

9.) Longest Leap for a lion is 36 feet.

10.) Lions once ranged over vast areas on many continents. Fossil evidence shows that until about 10,000 years ago, lions lived throughout Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and into Asia as far as southern India and the island of Sri Lanka. They also lived in North America and northern South America. Since then, however, the lion's range has been shrinking steadily.

The Kangaroos......

1.) A male kangaroo is called a buck. It is also commonly called a "boomer" or an "old man". A female kangaroo is called a doe, or a flyer. A baby kangaroo is called a joey.

2.) All kangaroos have a chambered stomach similar to cattle and sheep. They regurgitate the vegetation they have eaten, chew it as cud, and then swallow it again for final digestion.

3.) They cannot move backwards.

4.) Odd kangaroo fact: on land kangaroos can't move their hind legs independently, only together. But when they are swimming (they are good swimmers) they kick each leg independently.

5.) When kangaroos (after a joey has left the pouch) give birth again, one of their teats will continue to produce a high carbohydrate milk for the older joey. The new baby will attach itself to another teat that produces a different kind of milk with a higher fat content.

6.) It's an urban myth that the name kangaroo is the result of a misunderstanding, and developed from an Aboriginal word meaning "I don't know", or "I don't understand".

7.) There are more kangaroos in Australia than humans. This is mostly due to the clearing of bushlands for pasture and increased availability of surface water since European settlement.

8.) There are 47 varieties of kangaroo, ranging in size from the two-pound rock wallaby to the 6-foot, 300-pound red kangaroo.

9.) Kangaroos can go months without drinking, and when they do need water, will dig their own water wells to find it .

10.) There are more than 50 different kinds of kangaroos.

Ok that is it for this week. Make sure to check in next week for Llamas and Rabbits. (Dh's choice)

Fact List Time.....

Here we are, our 5th entry for our little factual friday. Pretty good I think. So far we have learned about Walruses, Whales, Deep Sea Creatures, Octopuses/ Squids, Penguins, Polar Bears, Sharks, and the Rays. Now time for some cute and cuddley creatures. The Koala and Panda.

The Koalas

1.) The Koala is one of the only animals which can survive on a diet of eucalytus leaves. They are extremely poisionous to most animals. They have special stomaches that help them break down the poison.

2.) Koalas also sleep between 18 and 22 hours each day.

3.) With over 600 types of eucalyptus trees growing all over Australia, Koalas are fussy about the ones that they eat. They will only eat about 35 types of them. Some of them actually only eat 2 or 3 kinds. If they can not find thise they just will not eat.

4.) The fingerprints of Koalas are amazingly like those of human beings - enough to cause confusion.

5.) The closest relative of the koala is the wombat ­ they both have pouches which open towards the rear.

6.) The Koala can run as fast as a rabbit.

7.) When Koalas are first born they are blind, furless, and no ears. Once they make it into their mom's pouch they develop all of that.

8.) Koalas don't live in families, but are solitary animals.

9.) Although koalas obtain most of their water from leaves -- the name koala is thought to mean "no drink" in several native Aborginal tongues -- they do occasionally drink water at the edges of streams.

10.) There are 3 types of Koalas. The New South Wales Koala, The Queensland Koala, and The Victoria Koala. The New South Whales was the First type of Koala to be discovered, to this day is still thought of as the "typical" Koala.

The Pandas

1.)· Giant pandas are biologically unique. They are closely related to bears and have the digestive system of a carnivore, but they have adapted to a vegetarian diet and depend almost exclusively on bamboo as a food source. Not designed to process plant matter, the panda's digestive system cannot easily break down the cellulose in bamboo, so pandas must eat huge amounts

2.) A giant panda can eat up to 88 pounds of Bamboo each day.

3.) Pandas have a special bone in their wrist that allow them to grip bamboo, the same way that we use our thumbs to grip on things.

4.) Giant Panda Bears do not hibernate during the winter. Due to their leaner diets, they do not build up the excess fat needed to hibernate.

5.) The Chinese word for Panda is "Xiongmao" or Giant Cat Bear.

6.) If the pandas don't have any bamboo to eat they will die.

7.) Giant pandas have unusually thick and heavy bones for their size, but they are also very flexible and like to do somersaults.

8.) They seem pretty quiet, but giant pandas can bleat, roar, growl, and honk.

9.) Pupils of the panda's eyes are vertical slits that may be an adaptation for night vision.

10.) There are only about 1000 pandas left in the wild. About 100 are in captivity. Pandas are on the endangered species list.

Alright next weeks animals are kangaroo and a lion. If you have any facts that you want to share. Just leave me a message and I will be happy to post it. Thanks.

Fact List Time.....

Wow the day almost got away before I got this posted. I am sure you were all very worried. LOL. This week we did the Ray family and the Shark family. It was lots of fun I hope that you enjoy the information we found.

The Rays.....

1.) The manta was named after the Spanish word ; "manta," which means blanket.

2.) A manta ray coaught off the Bahamas had an incredible wingspan of 22 feet.

3.) Mantas have about 300 rows of tiny, peg-like teeth, each about the size of the head of a pin.

4.) Spotted Eagle Rays have one of the largest brain to body weight of any fish.

5.) Spotted Eagle Rays are the only member of their family to have multiple spines on the tail.

6.) Stingrays commonly are found lying half-buried in the sand or mud of coastal temperate areas.

7.) Stingrays come in two different general "types" - the "benthic" (or bottom) stingrays and the "pelagic" (or swimming) stingrays.

8.) Some cownose ray schools can be quite large; one witnessed near the mouth of the Bay was estimated to contain nearly five million rays!

9.) Captain John Smith learned the hard way about the cownose ray's spine. During his 1608 voyage he was stung so severely that his crew thought he was going to die. The site on the Rappahannock River where he was stung is still known today as "Stingray Point."

10.) Flaps its “wings” like a bird to swim through the water. As it swims, the tips of the fins break the surface and can look like shark fins. Many "shark sightings" in the Bay are actually cownose rays.

The Sharks.....

1.) Even though there are 350 types of sharks that have been identified, scientist believe there are more than that out there in the unsearched oceans.

2.) Sharks have lateral line organs. These are a row of tiny holes on the side of their body that can detect the tiniest movement around them, allowing them to catch prey.

3.) Since every living creature gives off small electric impulses, sharks can actually detect them through little holes in their faces. These holes are called ampullae of Lorenzini.

4.) The monster shark (Carcharodon Megalodon) had jaws big enough to swallow a small car.

5.) The moses sole is a small fish that a shark will not eat. If a shark does bite it, the fish releases a chemical that makes the shark ill. The shark then releases the fish. Scientist are trying to recreate the chemical so it can be used to keep sharks away from people.

6.) Before sandpaper was invented people used shark skin to smooth and polish wood.

7.) The bull shark is the only shark that can live in both fresh and salt water. A bull shark may have been responsible for a shark attack that happened in a creek in New Jersey back in 1916.

8.) Sharks never get cancer! Their cartilage is used in being studied with the hope of developing anti-cancer drugs.

9.) Sharks' bodies are heavier than the sea, so if they stop moving they sink. If they want to stay afloat, they must keep moving!

10.) A shark's hunger can be satisfied with one good meal. The meal can last a long time because a shark uses little energy to swim. Some sharks hold food in their stomachs without it being digested. If they eat a big meal, it can last three or more months!

So Sam gave us his ideas for next weeks list. We are going to do Pandas and Koalas. If you have any facts that you would like to share please let me know and I would be happy to post them.

Fact List Time.....

I am running a little behind on posting today. Some reason I can not remember that today is friday. Makes it kind of hard to remember to post a friday post. Sorry. Well this week we did Polar Bears and Penguins. Lets start with the polar bears.

POLAR BEAR FACTS...........

1.) Polar bears have two layers of fur for further protection from the cold.

2.) Polar bears have more problems with overheating than they do with cold. Even in very cold weather, they quickly overheat when they try to run.

3.) Humans are the polar bears only predator.

4.) The babies are much smaller than human babies when they're born. They are the size of a rat and weigh little more than a pound. They can grow to full man size in a year if they have lots of food.

5.) Most polar bears live entire lives on ice without ever setting foot on land.

6.) The bears have become 10% cent thinner over the past two decades, because it’s increasingly harder for them to find food due to the global warming.

7.) An amazing 95% of the polar bear diet consists of seals, both ringed and bearded seals.

8.) Polar bear cubs travel with their moms to learn to hunt for about two and a half years.

9.) Polar bears can see well underwater, spotting potential meals 15 feet (4.6 meters) away.

10.) The polar bear's nose is so powerful it can smell a seal on the ice 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, sniff out a seal's den that has been covered with snow, and even find a seal's air hole in the ice up to one mile (1.6 kilometers) away.

PENGUIN FACTS......

1.) There are at least 18 different species of penguins.

2.) A group of penguins is called colonies or rookery.

3.) They are ancient species that appeared 40 million years ago in the Eocene.

4.) Penguin is an unofficial symbol of the United States Libertarian Party.

5.) The name is derived from Welsh terms ‘pen’, meaning head and ‘gwyn’, meaning white.

6.) When mothers lose a chick, they steal another mother’s chick.

7.) When the salt storage completely fills the gland, penguins go to a rock and knock his beak. This allows him to empty the salt content.

8.) They have a variety of bill shapes.

9.) They can walk faster than humans.

10.) They pick up stones and store them in their crop. This helps them to float when they are in water.

I hope that everyone enjoyed this list. Next week we plan on doing the Shark Family and the Ray Family. If any one has any facts that they would like to share on them please let me know and I will be happy to include them.

Fact List Time.....

Here is our list for the week. We did the Squid/Octupus and Deep Sea Creatures this week. It was actually kind of a tough one to do. It was hard because there was so many creatures to narrow it down. Lots of Googling was done to make the list. I think it turned out pretty interesting, I hope that you all Enjoy.

Octopus:

(COCONUT OCTOPUS)

1.) Vampyroteuthis infernalis, the vampire squid (literally, from hell). It is actually in an Order of its own, Vampyromorpha, because although it shares characteristics with both squid and octopus, it also has sensory *filaments* that it sends out to learn about the world around it. This fact is courtesy of the Piseco Family, See here. I thought that this was interesting so I looked into other info and found this video on youtube.

2.) Octopus are great escape artists; an adult Octopus can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime.

3.) Octopus are part of the Mollusc family, more closely related to Pipis and Mussel than fish.

4.)The octopus is the ultimate impersonator. An octopus can change color, make itself smooth, or sprout spikes. Some use the changes for camouflage—perfectly matching and blending into their surroundings. Others put all the right bits together and take on the forms and colors of different species of fish.

5.) Baby octopuses never know their parents. They emerge from their eggs smaller than a pea and have to survive by their wits and powers from the start. Some head off to explore the world, drifting in ocean currents. They are mainly see-through but can already change color, squirt ink, and regrow lost body parts.

6.) The mother octopus goes into a dark cave and lays up to 100,000 eggs. Each egg has a string attached to it. She ties all the eggs together and hangs up the entire bunch from the ceiling. She keeps guard over them day and night and does not go out of her den. She starves herself and dies probably even before the eggs are hatched.

7.) Squid swim faster than any other invertebrate.

8.) Some squid have bioluminescent organs that make them glow in the dark.

9.) Giant squid have eyes the size of basketballs.

10.) Scientists estimate there are about 500 species of squid, with the smallest only two centimetres long.

Deep Sea Creatures:

(Comb Jellies)

1.) Deep sea creatures are fish and other creatures that live down in the deepest part of the ocean. It is very cold down at the bottom and there is no sunlight only the light produced by the some of the creatures. Almost every deep sea creature has a cell in their body that makes a light. However scientist have discovered more about this light making process by studying fireflies.

2.) The Giant Squid is one of the very few deep ocean creatures that can visit the ocean surface.

3.) The apple anemone is one of the largest anemones found in the deep sea.The apple anemone has a broad column or base. But it's not immobile as are most anemones. When threatened, it elongates and sways from side to side to detach itself from the bottom. It then "swims" away by rapidly flexing or bending its column or by thrashing its tentacles.

4.) The "fishing rod" growing from the female anglerfish's snout ends in a glowing blob of light. At the tip of this modified fin ray, is a small organ (esca) that contains millions of light-producing bacteria.

5.) Scientists believe the bloodybelly's red belly helps mask bioluminescent light from the prey it swallows. A predator with a glowing gut could easily become prey.

6.) Midwater Shrimp's long antennae—nearly four times its body length—may help it find food or mates by sensing chemicals produced by other animals.

7.) Predatory tunicates are simultaneous hermaphrodites—each animal produces both eggs and sperm. If conditions are poor or there are no other tunicates nearby, each tunicate can reproduce by itself.

8.) Symbiotic clam may take up to 100 years to reach maturity.

9.) When disturbed, sea whips glow with a bright, bioluminescent light.

10.) Japanese Spider Crab is the largest known arthropod; fully grown it can reach a leg span of almost 4 m (13 ft), a body size of up to 37 cm (15 inches) and a weight of up to 20 kg (44 lb).

I hope that everyone joins us for next week. We plan on doing Penguins and Polar Bears. If you have any facts that you would like to share please leave a comment and I would be happy to post it on our next list.

Animal Fact Time.....

Well I really enjoyed doing the book list over the last year. Yes I really did. The part that I liked was that it was a family activity. It was great having a challenge for us to all work towards together. I asked Sam what he would like to do for a project this year. He suggested learning new animal facts. Which Dh and I are definetly on board with. It sounds so interesting to us. We thought that we would share it all with you guys again, Lucky you. LOL.


The goal for the year is to learn 10 facts of a 100 different animals, totals 1000 facts. There is that 1000 number again. We are going to shoot for 2 animals each week so that we can make it in the year time limit. To help narrow it down sometimes we will do it by the family, like this first week has the whale family. This includes different types of whales and even dolphins, which are whales. Sometimes it might just be about one animal.


If any one has facts that they would like to share about animal please do. I will try to let everyone know the week ahead of time what we are going to do. If you know something about that animal and want to share it I would be happy to post it on our list that week.


So lets get started....

Up first the Whales..

1. This first one is not really a fact but I thought it was interesting. The picture above was taken at the Science Museum. It is the actual Jawbone of a Sperm Whale. Look at the size of that thing! This sperm whale got beached and unfortunetly died. The scientist burried it in the sand to allow it to decompose, later dug it up, and then transported the bones back to the museum and preserved the bones with chemicals.

2. Dolphins are actually a members of the Whale Family.

3. The Blue Whale is the loudest thing on earth. Its mating call can reach a whopping 188 decibels, which is louder than a jet engine (140 decibels). Noise is painful to human ears at over 120 decibels.

4. Two main types of whales called baleen whales and toothed whales. Here are some distinct differences between these types of whales:

a. As their name states toothed whales have teeth, but baleen whale. Baleen whales have baleen plates instead of teeth, which they use to filter food.

b. Baleen whales are much larger than toothed whales.

c. Baleen whales have two blow holes, while toothed whales have one.

4. Blue whales are the largest animal ever.

5. Whales are unihemispherical, which means that whales never fully asleep. Each side of the brain take turns going to sleep. This is why a whale does not drown when it sleeps.

6. It has been calculated that a single breath from a mature blue whale can inflate up 2000 balloons.

7. It is now believed that the most recent land ancestors of whales were hippos!

8. The narwhal, an unusual toothed whale with a tooth piercing the upper lip, is believed to be the basis of the legendary unicorn.

9. The blue whale heart is the size of a small car, and a small child can stand in the major arteries leading from the heart. It's eye is the size of a small teacup and their external ear is the size of the tip of a pencil.

10. The only natural predator of humpback whales is the killer whale (orcas), and possibly sharks to very young calves or badly injured whales. Up to 15% of humpback whales in an area may have scars from orca attacks that they have escaped.

Up next we decided to do Walruses. Isn't he pretty!!LOL

1.) The walrus' scientific name, Odobenus rosmarus, is Latin for "tooth-walking sea-horse."

2.)When a walrus sunbathes its skin turns red. The heat causes blood to rush to the skin.

3.) Walruses have air sacs in their necks that enable them to keep their heads above water when they sleep.

4.) Walruses lose their winter coat (a process called molting) every year in June and July.

5.) Walruses use their heads to break breathing holes in ice up to 20 cm(8 in) thick. They use their tusks to widen the holes.

6.) Longer tusks mean higher hierarchical position and older age. If a male loses a tusk, he will lose his rank in the hierarchical scale.

7.) You can tell how old a walrus is by the number of rings you can find in a cross-section of its teeth just like you can tell how old a tree is by the number of "growth rings" it has.

8.) Walruses feed in cycles of 9 days: 2 days of resting on the beach and 7 days of feeding in the sea.

9.) Walrus walk on all four fins. He can even move on land as fast as a man can run. Other pinniped have to drag their hind ends around but a walrus can walk.

10.) Walruses have been close to extinction on a couple of occasions due to overhunting. Walrus tusks, oil, skin and meat were highly valued in the 18th and 19th centuries. Only indigenous peoples of the arctic are currently allowed to hunt walrus and there is a limit on numbers that can be killed.

We hope that you all enjoy our new goal list. Next week we plan on doing octopus/squid (mollusk family) and deep sea creatures. The kinds that you don't really see that often. If anyone has any facts that they would like to share please let me know and I will happily add them to the list.