Tag: Asia
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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 pygmy slow loris
It’s spooky season, so we must talk about spooky animals. And there’s nothing more spooky than an adorable animal…that can KILL YOU! Meet the pygmy slow loris, one of nature’s cutest potential killers. Slow lorises are a type of nocturnal primate found in Southeast Asia, and there are currently eight recognized species in the slow…
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Meet the chameleon
We’re solidly into autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, and the trees are quickly changing colors. This brings to mind a famously color-shifting creature: the chameleon. The word “chameleon” translates to “ground lion,” coming from the Greek words “chamai” (on the ground) and “leon” (lion). More than 150 different species of chameleons are found across Asia,…
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Meet the dormouse
Autumn officially starts in the Northern Hemisphere this Sunday, September 22. As the weather cools and the nights lengthen, many animals prepare for winter. Those that migrate are heading towards better weather, and those that hibernate are stocking up on fat stores to make it through the winter. So, let’s talk about the MVP of…
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Meet the giant panda
Exciting news for panda lovers: a new pair of pandas is joining the Smithsonian Zoo. By the end of 2024, pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao will be stateside. This agreement with China is the latest in so-called panda diplomacy. All pandas are owned by China, and the country will gift or loan them to…
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Meet the gray wolf
Last week, on April 8, I drove to Vermont to see a solar eclipse. It was so cool! We went far enough to be in the path of totality, where the moon entirely covered the sun. While it was amazing to see the sun disappear and the world get dark, it was also bizarre. I’m not…
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Meet the Komodo dragon
Happy April! Monday was April 1st, also known as April Fool’s Day. Hopefully, you didn’t get pranked too badly! Animals aren’t in the business of pranking people for April Fool’s Day, but some animals are just so wild that they seem like pranks. Take, for instance, the narwhal, the platypus, or the okapi. None of these animals…
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Meet the hedgehog
It’s officially spring in the Northern Hemisphere! And if you live in Europe, this means the return of an adorable animal: the hedgehog. Hedgehogs get their name from how they forage for food. They root through hedges, searching for small critters to eat, like insects, worms, and snails. As they nose through these hedges and…
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Meet the bearded vulture
Last week was International Vulture Awareness Day! And what better way to celebrate than taking a closer look at the prettiest vulture around: the bearded vulture. Bearded vultures (Gypateus barbatus), also known as lammergeiers, are scavenger birds found across southern Europe and Asia. Their typical habitat is at high elevations in mountainous regions; most often,…
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Meet the sea otter
BREAKING NEWS: At the time of writing, Otter 841 is still at large! Otter 841 is a sea otter stealing surfboards off the coast of Santa Cruz, California. The government has been trying to catch Otter 841 for weeks, but they just can’t get her! Like other members of her species, she seems to be a…