Scientists discover many new species every year … and now it’s your turn! In this activity you’ll write a story about your quest to discover and describe a new species.
Number 1: Metalmark moth (Polillas de marca de metal) Scientific name: Tortyra slossoni (Family: Choreutidae) This moth is one of the smallest moths in Mexico. It measures 10 mm. Although they fly by day, it is difficult to find them. The term slossoni is in…
Reading level: Grade 5-6 You might think all rare and unique animals are discovered in remote places … like rainforests, mountaintops, or deserts. Not in the case of the Romer’s tree frog! This is the story of how this little frog found itself living in…
This week we’ve been talking about wetlands, in celebration of World Wetlands Day. Today we’re going to imagine we’re on a canoe, exploring the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. A river delta is where the mouth of a river empties out, often into another body…
Endemic species: An endemic species is a species that occurs in only one geographic location, such as a forest, state, country, or island. Watch this video about several endemic animals to learn more! Examples of endemic species featured in the video: Blue-billed curassow, found only…
You might think we know almost everything about the big animals of the world. But, scientists are often discovering surprising new things – this time about tiger sharks. Tiger sharks in Mozambique have been recorded traveling thousands of kilometers to the other side of the…
Lions, tigers, sharks, bears, and giraffes are pretty cool animals, right? But did you know that there are all kinds of other amazing creatures living in your backyard, local park, or city … We encourage kids, big and small, to learn something new about an…
Time to learn about ethograms! This activity is courtesy of the Lemur Conservation Network and the Louisiana Lemur Foundation. Educators: Description of the activity (For ages 10+) This activity helps you observe lemurs at your local zoo (or via a zoo webcam). You will list…
Michael Parsons studies rats in cities. Most people find rats yucky, so why would anyone want to study them? Lab logo. Image courtesy of Michael Parsons. One reason is that rats cause billions of dollars a year in damage through loss of food, starting fires…
Biologist Nilanthi Rajapakse (pictured below) of the Department of Wildlife Conservation in Sri Lanka discovered a new plant species with years of careful observation and field work. Nilanthi Rajapakse. Image courtesy of the Department of Wildlife Conservation. Mongabay writer Malaka Rodrigo explains how Nilanthi Rajapakse discovered…
“People look at you blankly when you mention botos,” says wildlife biologist Dr Tony Martin. Dolphins are famous animals. They swim through the oceans of the world, frolicking among the waves and eating fish. The dolphins of the oceans have some much less well-known cousins:…
Scientists have found that dugongs and green sea turtles help plants called seagrasses grow in the Great Barrier reef. Why is this important? Keep reading to learn more. This is the world-famous Great Barrier Reef: The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system…