Author: Caitlyn Finton
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Meet the pangolin
Sad news: World Pangolin Day was February 15, and I totally missed it! But not to worry. I’ll make up for it by giving you all the pangolin facts you need today instead! Pangolins are medium-sized mammals. Depending on the species, they range from the size of a large housecat to more than 4 feet…
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Meet the wildebeest
It’s February, and we all know what that means: it’s peak calving season for wildebeest living in East Africa. As we speak, thousands of wildebeest are being born, all at the same time. Also known as gnu, wildebeests are large antelopes living in Africa. They have a boxy, cow-like head, a horse-like body, and the…
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From the Archive: Meet the Groundhog
Groundhog Day was this week! To celebrate the holiday, have a look at last year’s post about the majestic groundhog. Groundhog Day: a day when a groundhog predicts the weather, and we all celebrate the majesty of groundhogs. Groundhogs (Marmota monax) deserve to be celebrated because they are North America’s most widespread marmot (aka, ground…
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Meet the snow fly
When you’re in the middle of winter, it seems like everything is hibernating, waiting for warmer days. But some things are still active! I recently learned about a surprisingly active animal during the cold: snow flies. Snow flies (genus Chionea) are a specialized type of crane fly. What’s a crane fly? You’ve probably seen one…
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Meet the polar bear
It’s been pretty cold here in the United States this past week. While I don’t mind the cold typically, it’s been a little too chilly lately! It’s a good time to channel my inner chionophile (an organism that can thrive in cold, snowy environments). Today, let’s take a closer look at one of the most…
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Meet the black panther
Exciting news! It’s almost my cat’s birthday! Ori will be turning 7 years old on Sunday, January 19th. In his honor, I want to talk about the larger version of Ori: the black panther. What is a black panther? Unlike other animals we’ve explored on this blog, black panthers aren’t a specific animal species. Instead,…
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Meet the tuatara
Happy New Year! It’s been a while since you’ve heard from me between my honeymoon and the holidays. But I’m back! Let’s start 2025 by looking at a unique animal: the tuatara. Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) are reptiles found only in New Zealand. Growing up to 1.6 feet (0.5 meters) long and weighing up to 3.3…
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Meet the wētā
Exciting news: I’m going on my honeymoon next week! My husband and I will spend a little over two weeks in New Zealand. We’re planning on a few hikes to see local animals, like kiwis and albatrosses. But there’s one animal we might see whether we like it or not: the wētā. Wētā are large…
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Meet the numbat
Last week (November 2nd) was World Numbat Day! How did you celebrate?? I don’t blame you if you missed this holiday – I didn’t know what a numbat was until a few days ago! Let’s discuss them now so we’re all ready to celebrate next year. Numbats (Myrmecobius fasciatus) are small Australian marsupials. They are,…
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Meet the wrinkle-faced bat
Yesterday was Halloween! A very spooky time, filled with ghosts, vampires, and, of course, bats! There are many great bats in the world, including vampire bats and hammer-headed bats. Here’s another great (and interesting looking) bat: the wrinkle-faced bat. Wrinkle-faced bats (Centurio senex) are medium-sized bats, on average 2.17 inches (55 millimeters) long and weighing…