Greater Hog Badger

We just learned about the Honey Badger.

Another type of badger is the Greater Hog Badger, also called arctonyx collaris.

This type of badger lives in Southeast Asia, and grows to be about 100 centimeters long and weighs about 10 kilograms.
Greater Hog Badgers have mostly brown fur, and a white face with black stripes.

You just have to look at their pig like nose to figure out why they are called the hog badger!
They use their big claws and this big hog nose to help them dig into the dirt and find worms to eat.


(from: wikipedia - greater hog badger)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Talapoin Monkey

Honey Badger

We just learned about the American Badger.

Another type of animal in the same family is the Honey Badger.

These animals weigh about 15 kilograms, are about 28 centimeters tall and 70 centimeters long.
They have a long body, short legs, sharp claws, and thick skin that is very loose.
Their fur is black, with a big white stripe on the back kind of like a skunk.

Even though honey badgers are not that big, they are very ferocious, and will even attack bigger animals like lions and hyenas.
Honey badgers eat just about anything for food.
Using their strong arms and big claws they will dig up beehives, lift up rocks to find snakes, rip bark from trees for bugs, or dig in holes for rabbits.
With their thick loose fur, they aren't even hurt by porcupine quills, snake bites, bee stings or bites from other animals.
When they get their food they eat up every bit, even the bones, shells, feathers, and fur!


(from: wikipedia - honey badger)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nomascus Gibbon

American Badger

We just learned about the Weasel family of animals called Musteloidea.

One member of this family is the American Badger.

These animals live in North America, all they way from Canada down to Mexico.
They grow to be about 70 centimeters, and weigh about 7 kilograms.
Their fur is mostly grey, with some black and white marks on their face, and a white stripe that goes all the way from their head to their tail.

Badgers are very active animals and they eat lots of smaller animals like rats, snakes, or lizards.
Usually they like to hunt alone, but people have now seen badgers hunting together with coyotes!

Badgers have really long and strong claws, and are great diggers.
Coyotes are realy fast, and can chase down just about any prey.

So the badger and coyote will work together to chase down their prey.
If the animal tries to run away, the coyote will get it.
If it tries to hide in a hole in the ground, the badger will get it.

The coyotes and badgers don't share homes or snuggle together, but they work together to try and hunt up something to eat!


(from: wikipedia - american badger)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Siamang

Weasels

We just learned about the Ring-Tailed Lemur, and we've learned about a lot of other types of Primates from Gorillas to Chimpanzees and monkeys!

Let's start learning about Weasels!

When we think of weasels, we usually think of a small animal with a long body that sneaks around on the ground.
We even use the word weasel sometimes to mean someone is being sneaky!

But the weasel family in the animal kingdom has a lot of different types of animals, like skunks, raccoons, red pandas, badgers and otters!
In Latin, the word for weasel is "mustela", so the science name for the weasel family is "Musteloidea".
There are over 60 types of animals in the weasel family, and small like less than a foot long, or big like almost 100 pounds.

Most of them are small with long bodies, short legs, round ears and thick fur.
They are all wild animals, but most of them are really adorable!


(from: wikipedia - mustelidae)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hylobates Gibbon

Ring-tailed Lemur

We just learned about the .

Another type of lemur is the Ring-tailed Lemur, also called the Lemur catta, maky, or hira.

This is a very famous Lemur because of King Julien from the Madagascar movies.

Ring-tailed lemurs grow to be about 45 centimeters, and weigh about 2 kilograms.
Just like their name says, they have a long black and white striped or ringed tail.

These lemurs are funny because sometimes they will sit up and face the sun, like they are trying to get a tan on their white bellies.
They also sometimes will fight each other by spraying a scent on their tails and then have smelly tail stink fights with other lemurs.


(from: wikipedia - ring-tailed lemur)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Hoolock Gibbon

Blue-Eyed Black Lemur

We just learned about the Sportive Lemur.

Another type of lemur is the Blue-Eyed Black Lemur.

Just like all other lemurs these primates all live in Madagascar, but because of people cutting down the trees where they live there are only about 1,000 left in the wild.
These primates are very special because they are one of only a few primates (including humans!) that has blue eyes.
They also have different colored fur for male and female lemurs, with the males having black fur and the females having either grey or red fur.

Blue-Eyed Black Lemurs grow to be about 45 centimeters long, and weigh about 2 kilograms.



(from: wikipedia - blue-eyed black lemur)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Orangutan

Sportive Lemur

We just learned about the Verreaux's Sifaka.

Another type of primate is the Sportive Lemur.

This is a small type of lemur that grows to about 35 centimers, and around 2 pounds.
They have big eyes, because they are all nocturnal, meaning the stay up all night and sleep all day.

Because of their big eyes, they are able to see in the dark and can still hop from tree to tree.
When they are on the ground, they hop like a kangaroo.


(from: wikipedia - sportive lemur)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Gorilla

Verreaux's sifaka

We just learned about the Diademed Sifaka.

Another type of lemur is the Verreaux's sifaka.

This is another sifaka type of lemur that lives only in Madagascar.
They grow to be about 45 centimeters, and weigh a little over 3 pounds.

Verreaux sifakas have white and brown fur and spend most of their lives in the trees.

Sometimes they go down on the ground, but their bodies are built for leaping around trees so they don't really know how to walk.
When these primates go on the ground the hop around on two feet, like a bunny hop!



(from: wikipedia - verreaux's sifaka)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chimpanzee

Diademed Sifaka

We just learned about the Woolly Lemur.

Another type of lemur is the Diademed Sifaka, also called the simpona, ankomba joby, or propithecus diadema.

These sifakas are very large, growing to weigh around 6 kilograms, and about 105 centimeters long, with a very long tail.
They are very colorful, with long soft silky fur.
Diadem is another word for crown, and these lemurs are called diademed because they have a circle of white fur around their face that looks like a crown.
They have grey backs, black hands and feet, and golden legs and taile.

Like other lemurs these primates live mostly in the trees, but they travel a long distance every day to try and protect the land they call home.
With their big strong legs, they can climb through the trees at 30 kilometers per hour, and will go over 1.5 kilometers every day.

If there is danger, the diadamed sifakas will make a sound like a kiss and a sneeze combined.


(from: wikipedia - diademed sifaka)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Primates

Woolly Lemur

We just learned about the Indri.

Another type of lemur is the Woolly Lemur, also called avahis or woolly indris.

This is another type of primate that only lives on the island of Madagascar.

They grow to about 50 centimeters, and weigh about 1200 grams.
Their short woolly fur is brown, grey or red, and they have a long orange tail.


(from: wikipedia - woolly lemur)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Ojos Azules

Indri

We just learned about the Aye-aye.

Another type of primate is the Indri, also called the babakoto.

This is another kind of lemur that lives in Madagascar.
These primates are one of the largest lemurs in the world, and grow to be about 20 pounds, and 4 feet long, and they have black and white fur.

Groups of indri will sometimes talk back and forth to each other by singing loud songs that can be up to 3 minutes long.
Sometimes there is roaring or high or low singing from one group, and the other group will answer with songs of their own.


(from: wikipedia - indri)



Singing indri lemur - Rhett Butler

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Egyptian Mau

Aye-aye

We just learned about the Gerp's Mouse Lemur.

Another type of primate is the Aye-aye, also called the long fingered lemur or daubentonia madagascariensis.

This kind of lemur lives at night, grows to about 3 feet long and weighs about 4 pounds.
They have silver colored fur a stripe down their back, and big eyes so it can see at night.

Aye-ayes also have very different fingers that they use to get their food.
When they are hunting for grubs to eat, they will tap one of their fingers on a tree to feel where a grub might be living.
If they hear or feel one, then they chew into the tree bark, then use one of their long fingers to pull out the grub and eat it!

No one is really sure where they got their name. Some people think it might have come from the Malagasy word for "I don't know" and other people think maybe it was someone yelling aye aye because they were scared of it.


(from: wikipedia - aye-aye)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Aisan Semi-longhair

Gerp's Mouse Lemur

We just learned about the Greater Dwarf Lemur.

Another type of lemur is the Gerp's Mouse Lemur, also called microcebus gerpi.

Mouse lemurs are the smallest type of primate in the world, and they are usually about the size of a small mouse but with a longer fuzzy tail.
The Gerp's Mouse Lemur only grows to be about 2 ounces, and is only a few inches long.
Like all lemurs it lives only on the island of Madagascar.

These primates mostly live up in little nests in the trees almost like birds nest.
Their fur is mostly a brownish grey with some red and white on their bellies or faces.


(from: wikipedia - gerp's mouse lemur)



Tiny lemur has super strength!! - Discovery Canada



Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Cyprus Cat

Greater Dwarf Lemur

We just learned about the Philippine Tarsier.

Another type of primate is the Greater Dwarf Lemur, or cheirogaleus major.

Lemurs are part of a whole different group of primates, not like chimpanzees, apes or monkeys.
There are a lot of different types of lemurs, and they all come from the island of Madagascar.

The greater dwarf lemur can grow to about 10 inches long, and weigh about 1 pound.
Their fur is gre or red, with dark circles around their eyes.

They live up in the trees eating mostly fruits, flowers and nectar, and sometimes bugs.
Unlike a lot of other monkeys that leap from tree to tree, these primates are not good leapers and they mostly walk along on all fours.
These primates are also quieter than most others and will just someetimes make quiet calls to other greater dwarf lemurs.


(from: wikipedia - greater dwarf lemur)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Chantilly-Tiffany

Philippine Tarsier

We just learned about the Brown Woolly Monkey.

Another type of primate is the Philippine Tarsier.

This monkey is about 6 inches long, and weighs less than 1 pound.
The name Tarsier comes from the monkey's tarsus bone in their foot that is longer than other monkeys.

Tarsiers have really big eyes, but they can't move their eyes around to look left or right, they have to move their head around to look.
Because of this, they can turn their heads around almost all the way and look behind them.
With their big eyes, they like to stay up at night and hunt for small bugs to eat.


(from: wikipedia - philippine tarsier)



The Cutest Little Predator | Wild Indonesia - Nat Geo WILD


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Bengal Cat

Brown Woolly Monkey

We just learned about the Red Faced Spider Monkey.

Another type of new world monkey is the Brown Woolly Monkey, also called the common woolly monkey, Humboldt's woolly monkey, or Lagothrix lagothricha.

These monkeys are larger than most other new world monkeys, growing to be about 2 feet tall, and weighing around 24 pounds.
Even though their name is brown woolly monkey, they can be grey, black or brown.

They spend most of their time in the trees, and they eat fruits, nuts, seeds and leaves, and also small bugs.


(from: wikipedia - brown woolly monkey)



Feeding Endangered Woolly Monkey in Ecuador - Matthias Pavlov


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Savannah Cat

Red-Faced Spider Monkey

We just learned about the Black Howler.

Another type of new world monkey is the Red-Faced Spider Monkey, Guiana spider monkey, or ateles paniscus.

Just like their name says, these monkeys have a bright red face, with black fur on the rest of their bodies.
They live in South America, and spend most of their lives in the trees.

They grow to be about 2 feet long, and weigh about 20 pounds.


(from: wikipedia - red-faced spider monkey)



Baby Red Faced Spider Monkey - Jay the Ram


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Sphynx Cat

Black Howler

We just learned about the Colombian Red Howler.

Another type of new world monkey is the Black Howler, also called black and gold howler or alouatta caraya.

This type of monkey lives in South America, spending most of their time in the trees.
They are well known for their howling, which sounds more like roaring, and can be heard from miles away.

These monkeys are some of the least active monkeys in the world, as they spend almost the whole day sleeping and are usually only awake and moving around for a few hours a day!

(from: wikipedia - black howler)



Howler Monkeys | National Geographic - National Geographic

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Persian Cat

Colombian Red Howler

We just learned about the Mantled Howler.

Another type of new world monkey is the Colombian Red Howler, also called the Venezuelan red howler or alouatta seniculus.

This type of monkey lives in South America, spending most of its life up in the trees.
They grow to be about 2 feet long, weigh about 20 pounds and have a long tail they use to climb around.
Just like their name says, they have red colored fur and they make really loud howling sounds that can be heard for miles.



(from: wikipedia - colombian red howler)



Red Howler Monkeys | Expedition Guyana | BBC Earth - BBC Earth


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Scottish Fold

Mantled Howler

We just learned about the Black Bearded Saki.

Another type of new world monkey is the Mantled Howler or golden-mantled howling monkey.

These monkeys live in Central and South America.
They have mostly black fur and the grow to be about 22 pounds and about 2 feet long.

Just like you would think from the name, they make a loud sound, that is usually like a low grunting sound almost like a dog barking or a pig grunting.
It can be heard in the jungle from miles away.


(from: wikipedia - mantled howler)



Mantled Howler Monkeys (Alouatta palliata) - Colombia - Tim Forrester


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Siamese Cat