Talapoin Monkey

We just learned about the Nomascus Gibbon.

Just like chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans, and gibbons there are a few different types of monkeys.
Monkeys are grouped into Old World monkeys and New World monkeys.
There are 138 different types of Old World Monkeys.

The smallest type of Old World Monkey is the Talapoin.

Talapoin monkeys are only about 16 inches tall, and weigh about 3 pounds.
Their fur is yellow, black, grey and white.
These monkeys only live in one part of western Africa, around the country of Angola.

Most of the time these monkeys live in trees, but they are also good swimmers and will sometimes jump from the tree to water so they can run away from a predator.

For food they usually eat fruit, leaves or sometimes bugs.


(from: wikipedia - gabon talapoin)

(from: wikipedia - angolan talapoin)



Talapoin severní - Daniel Merhout


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jaguar

Nomascus Gibbon

We just learned about the Siamang type of Gibbon Primate.

Another type of Primate is the Nomascus Gibbon.

This type of gibbon lives in southern China and Vietnam.
There are 7 types of these gibbons: Black crested gibbon, Eastern black crested gibbon, Hainan black crested gibbon, Northern white-cheeked gibbon, Southern white-cheeked gibbon, Yellow-cheeked gibbon, Northern buffed-cheeked gibbon.

Each of these types of Nomascus gibbons looks a little different and usually lives in a different part of China or Vietnam.
Some of them like the Northern White Cheeked Gibbon have some white fur on their cheeks, the Southern White-Cheeked Gibbon has a white mouth, and the Yellow-Cheeked Gibbon has yellow fur on it's cheeks.

They all have very long arms that help them live in the trees, and most of them start out brown and then the male Gibbons fur turns black when they get older.

Northern White Cheeked Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - northern white-cheeked gibbon)

Southern White-Cheeked Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - southern white-cheeked gibbon)

Yellow Cheeked-Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - yellow cheeked-gibbon)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Snow Leopard

Siamang

We just learned about the Hylobates Gibbon.

Another kind of primate is the Siamang.

This is the biggest of all the kinds of gibbons, and can grow to be over 3 feet tall and weigh over 30 pounds.

They are covered in black fur, darker than any other type of gibbon.

When the siamang yells, their throat blows up like a balloon, almost like a bullfrog before they make their sounds.



(from: wikipedia - siamang)



Siamang apes go wild - diana feeney


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Black Panther

Hylobates Gibbon

We just learned about the Hoolock Gibbon.

Another type of gibbon is the Hylobates Gibbon also called the Dwarf gibbon.

This type of gibbon all lives in southern China or the island of Java in Indonesia.
Hylobates means "forest walker" which makes sense because these gibbons can climb through the trees very fast.

There are 17 different types of hylobates gibbons, from the Lar gibbons with white feet and hands, to the Bornean white bearded gibbon with a big white fluffy beard.
Some gibbons like the silvery gibbon have grey silvery fur, and then some are like the Pileated gibbon where the males have black fur and the females have white fur.

All of the gibbons have a kind of beard around their face, but these 17 different hylobates gibbons all look a little different and usually live in different places.

Lar gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - lar gibbon)

Bornean White-Bearded Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - bornead white-bearded gibbon)

Agile Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - agile gibbon)

Müller Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - müller gibbon)

Silvery Gibbon:

(from: wikipedia - silvery gibbon)

Pileated Gibbon:


(from: wikipedia - pileated gibbon)



Gibbons sing - oschu1000


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Leopard

Hoolock Gibbon

We just learned about the Orangutan.

Another type of primate is the Hoolock Gibbon.

Just like chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans, there are a few different types of gibbons.
Gibbons are the fastest and best tree climbers of any mammal.
They can climb as fast as 34 miles per hour, faster than a person running, and they can jump from tree to tree up over 20 feet away!

Hoolock gibbons live mostly in Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and China.
They can grow to be about 3 feet tall about weigh 20 pounds.

When they are born they are either white or yellow colored, and when they grow older the males fur turns black, and females fur turns brown and grey.
They always look like they are wearing a mask because they have a white ring around their eyes and mouth.

These gibbons live together in pairs, and they eat mostly fruit, bugs and leaves.

There are four types of gibbons: Western, Eastern and Skywalker.
Each species is a little different in size, fur or something else like their teeth or eyes.
The Skywalker species was found not long ago, and was named after Luke Skywalker from Star Wars.


(from: wikipedia - )



The Western Hoolock Gibbon Sings and Swings Along the Forest Canopies - RoundGlass Sustain


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jaguar

Orangutan

We just learned about the Gorilla.

Another type of primate is the Orangutan.

The orangutans have orangey red colored fur, but their name doesn't come from their fur color.
In Malay the word "orang" means person, and "hutan" means forest.
Because these apes looked like furry people walking around the forest, long ago people actually thought they were just really hairy people!

Orangutans live most of their lives climbing around in trees and eating fruit.
They have really long arms which helps them climb, and they even make nests in trees to sleep in at night.
These animals are very smart, and have learned to use tools to get food.
Some orangutans like to eat bugs, honey or bark, and they will take a stick that they sharpened with their teeth to open up tree bark or to crack open fruit to eat the inside.
If an orangutan really likes the tool that it used, it will save it and collect other tools in their own little toolbox.

When orangutan males grow up, their face changes a lot, and grows to be flat and wide.
Orangutans don't live in family groups like chimpanzees or gorillas, they mostly live alone except for young ones that live with their mother for a few years.

There are three main different types of orangutans that live in different parts of the world and look a little different: Bornean, Sumatran, Tapanuli.

All wild orangutans live on the island countries of Borneo and Indonesia.

Bornean Orangutan:


Flared faces of male Bornean, Sumatran, Tapanuli:


Flared male face and non flared female face:


Baby orangutan:

(from: wikipedia - orangutan)



Orangutan Jungle School: And So It Begins - Smithsonian Channel


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tigers

Gorilla

We just learned about the Chimpanzee.

Another type of primate is the Gorilla.

A gorilla can grow to be 500 lbs and about 6 feet tall.
They have very long arms, and their arm span can be voer 8 feet long.
Most gorillas live to be over 35 years, and the oldest gorilla ever was 60 years old.

Gorillas can walk on their feet, but usually they do what is called knuckle walking, meaning they walk on all fours but using the knuckles of their handles.
They sleep in nests on the ground made of branches, and they eat leaves, fruits or sometimes bugs.

Grownup male gorillas get silvery grey fur on their back, which is where they get the knickname of silverbacks.
A family of gorillas is called a troop, and is usually made up of one adult male, a few adult females, and a bunch of young gorillas.
Young male gorillas are called blackbacks because they don't have the grey fur yet.
Once they get older they leave the troop and go try to find female gorillas to start their own troop.
Male gorillas help keep the troop safe from other gorillas and other animals that might attack the troop.

All gorillas live in Africa, and there are two different main types of gorillas, eastern gorillas and western gorillas.
There are four types gorillas: Western lowland gorillas, cross river gorillas, mountain gorillas and eastern lowland gorillas.

Most of these gorillas look a lot alike, but some have longer fur, red fur, smaller bodies or longer faces.
Gorillas are very smart and sometimes use tools like rocks or sticks.
They talk to each other using hoots, grunts, barks, screams and roars.
Some gorillas in captivity have even been known to learn sign language.





(from: wikipedia - gorilla)



Adorable Baby Gorilla - Rib Ticklers


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lion

Chimpanzee

Let's keep learning about Primates.

One type of primate is the Chimpanzee, also called the common chimpanzee or robust chimpanzee.

This type of primate is the most like a human of any other primate.
Their skeletons, brains, and bodies are the most alike humans, and the way they act toward each other is a lot like humans can.

Chimpanzees are usually about 150 pounds and about 4 feet tall.
There is another type of chimpanzee called the "bonobo" that is a lot like the common chimpanzee, but a little smaller.

Chimpanzees have dark hair all over their bodies, except for their face, the inside of their hands and the bottoms of their feet.
With hands like humans, chimps can climb trees, and even use sticks and rocks like tools.
Their feet are more like a human hand, which helps them climbing trees.

These primates hang around in all different types of groups.
Sometimes there are groups of males that go hunting together, sometimes groups of females working together to help raise babies, and sometimes groups of males, females, babies and old chimps all staying together.

They live in forests, climb trees, are covered in fur and make loud screeching sounds, but these primates are the closest things to a cousin that humans have in the animal kingdom.


(from: wikipedia - chimpanzee)



Baby Chimpanzees Playing With Bubbles - BBC Earth


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cats

Primates

We've learned a whole lot about Cats! From the wild tigers and lions to the tabby, calico and Ojos Azules house cats.

Let's learn about Primates!

There are a lot of animals that are primates, like gorillas, monkeys. Humans are also primates, which means gorillas and monkeys are like our cousins!
Obviously humans look and act different and are a lot smarter, but there are also a lot of things that humans have the same with other primates.

All primates have big brains, good eyes, can see in color, and can move around their arms and shoulders better than other animals.

Some are very big, like gorillas weighing over 400 pounds, and some are very small like small lemurs weighing less than a pound.

Primates are different than a lot of other animals, because they can walk on two legs, and can easily climb trees.
They like to live together with their families, so they do not like to live alone like a tiger.

Only humans can make enough sounds to make words like they do, but some chimpanzees and gorillas have learned to use some words in sign language!
Humans are the smartest living things on the planet, so it's no surprise that some other primates that have brains and bodies a lot like ours are pretty smart too.


(from: wikipedia - primate)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jellyfish Ephyra

Ojos Azules

We just learned about the type of cat called the Egyptian Mau.

Another type of cat is the Ojos Azules.

This is a type of cat from Mexico, that has big blue eyes.
The name of the cat means "blue eyes".

They can have any color fur, and they usually have white on the ends of their nose, tail and paws.


(from: wikipedia - ojos azules)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jellyfish Polyps

Egyptian Mau

We just learned about the Asian Semi-longhair.

Another type of cat is the Egyptian Mau.

These cats can be lots of different colors, like grey, black, brown, yellow, or even blue.
They all have green eyes, spots on their fur, and a long black line that goes down their back.
On their head they can either have the M shape like a tabby cat, or a shape that some people think looks like a scarab beetle.

Egyptian Maus are one of the oldest types of cats, and many people think they are where other house cats came from.
They have long back legs, which helps them run fast.
These are the fastest cats in the world, running over 30 miles per hour!





(from: wikipedia - egyptian mau)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Amebocyte

Asian Semi-longhair

We just learned about the Cyprus Cat.

Another type of cat is the Asian Semi-longhair.

This cat is also sometimes called by the name of Tiffanie.

It is a gentle cat that has a lot of energy and personality.
These cats love their owners so much that they get jealous if other cats come around, and they will meow a lot if they do not get enough attention from their owner.


(from: wikipedia - asian semi-longhair)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Velarium

Cyprus Cat

We just learned about the Chantilly-Tiffany cat.

Another type of cat is the Cyprus Cat.

In the country of Cyprus there is a grave from almost 10,000 years ago with a person buried next to their pet cat.
It is the oldest grave anyone has found showing that humans kept cats as pets.

Some people say that this type of cat came from that line of original pets.

Other people think they came from in 328 AD when Saint Helen the mother of Emperor Constantine sent hundreds of cats to a monastery in Cyprus to help control the snake problem they were having.

There is even still an old monastery in the Cyprus town of Akrotiri called the Monastery of St. Nicholas of the Cats.

Wherever they came from, the Cyprus cats have thick hair and have lots of energy and are very good at jumping and running.
They can have different types of white or brown fur, but no spots, and their ears stick out in a V shape instead of straight up.


(from: wikipedia - cyprus cat)


(from: wikipedia - akrotiri (village))

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jellyfish Statocyst

Chantilly-Tiffany

We just learned about the Bengal Cat.

Another type of cat is the Chantilly-Tiffany.

This type of cat has a long full coat with soft and silky fur.
They have golden eyes that get brighter as they get older.

These cats usually are in a chocolate brown color, but they can also be blue, light brown or even tabby.


(from: wikipedia - chantilly-tiffany)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ocelli

Bengal Cat

We just learned about the Savannah Cat.

Another type of cat is the Bengal Cat.

This cat came from the wild Leopard Cat mixed with a house cat that was more calm and would be a good pet.

They have golden fur, with dark spots on them just like a leopard.
Because they came from a wild cat, they have lots of energy and need a lot of attention.


(from: wikipedia - bengal cat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Rhopalium

Savannah Cat

We just learned about the Sphynx Cat.

Another type of cat is the Savannah Cat.

This type of cat is a cross between a normal house cat and the wild Serval cat.
They usually weigh about 15 pounds, which is a lot smaller than the 40 pound serval cat.
On their ears they have the same markings, and their fur is spotted just like the serval.
Their legs are longer than a normal cats, but not super long like the wild serval.



(from: wikipedia - savannah cat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Lappet

Sphynx Cat

We just learned about the Persian Cat.

Another type of cat is the Sphynx Cat.

This is a type of cat with no fur.
One funny thing about their skin is that even though they don't have fur their skin can be different colors, and if fur did grow from that skin it would be the same color as that skin..

Because they don't have fur they cat get cold, and they can either wear clothes made for them or they will go try and find warm places to curl up.


(from: wikipedia - sphynx cat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nerve Net

Persian Cat

We just learned about the Scottish Fold Cat.

Another type of cat is the Persian Cat.

This type of cat has long fur, and a flat face that makes it look grumpy.
The villan cat Mr. Tinkles from the movie Cats and Dogs was a Persian Cat.

Persian cats can have just about any type of fur color, from orange to grey to all white.


(from: wikipedia - persian cat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Jellyfish Stomach

Scottish Fold

We just learned about the Siamese Cat.

Another type of cat is the Scottish Fold.

This type of cat started out in 1961 when a cat named Susie was born in Scotland with their ears flopped over forward instead of sticking up like other cats.

Susies kittens had folded ears too, and after that Susie's grandkittens and so on and the breed of Scottish Fold was born.


(from: wikipedia - scottish fold)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nematocysts

Siamese Cat

We just learned about the Tabby Cat.

Another type of cat is the Siamese Cat.

This type of cat first came from the Asian country of Thailand. This country used to be called Siam, so that is why it is called the Siamese cat.

These cats have blue eyes, big ears, a skinny body.
Most of the time when people think of Siamese cats they picture the white fur on their body and then brown black fur on their face, ears or legs.

Siamese cats can actually have different colored fur at any part of their body, but they are most often white with brown points.



(from: wikipedia - siamese cat)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Tentacles