MARCH CRAFT- BEAR WEEK!!

MARCH CRAFT!

CLAY BEAR!

Materials:

1.    Air drying clay –Brown & Black (we only have brown because our local craft store was out of black)

2.    Sharpie marker

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

1. Get a large piece of clay and make into an oval for the bear’s body

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Then roll out to pieces to about a 1 ½” logs for legs & attach to the body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Then roll out 1” logs for the arms & attach to the body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Roll out a round ball for the head and attach to the body.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Next roll out balls for ears.

6. Finally if you have black, roll out two small balls for the eyes and a slightly larger one for the nose. If you don’t have it, roll those out of brown and color with the marker.

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to add paws- you can do so with black clay or draw them on with a marker.

We sure hope you make yourself a bear pal and remember we love to see your artwork- so show us on our Facebook page or Tweet us a picture! (You can buy black & white clay & make a Panda Bear too!)

WATERY WEDNESDAY # 62

WATERY WENESDAY # 62

We’re taking the E & E sub out today to meet a member of the shark family! We have plenty of room for everyone, so come join us on today’s adventure to meet…

MEET THE SMOOTH HOUND SHARK!

   Range/Habitat: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean

   Diet: Carnivore: mollusks, crabs, lobsters

   Length/Weight: up to 5 1/4 ft/ 29 lbs

   Conservation Status: common

 

 

Fun Facts:

• Smooth Hound Sharks have short snouts.
• Smooth hound sharks have smooth skin.
• They are often seen in schools.
• Smooth hound sharks are nocturnal.
• They have flat teeth for crushing their prey.

These small sharks are really cool and their mouths are on the bottom! Did you know that when a shark or ray’s mouth is on the underside it indicates that their prey lives on the bottom of the ocean floor? Pretty cool!

  

 

 

 

MAMMAL MONDAY # 52

MAMMAL MONDAY #52

We’re off to Southeast Asia today to meet a monkey who lives amongst people and in the wild! Are you ready to head out and see who we meet today? Let’s do this!

MEET THE LONG TAILED MACAQUE!

   Range/Habitat: Southeast Asia/ rainforests, urban, coasts

   Diet: Omnivore: fruit, seeds, aquatic animals

   Length/Weight: 14 ½-23”/ 7 ¾- 26 lbs

   Conservation Status: common

 

Fun Facts:

• Long tailed Macaques are one of the most common monkeys in Southeast Asia.
• They live in troops of 5-60 individuals.
• Long tailed Macaques are also known as the Crab-Eating Macaques.
• Their tails are as long as their bodies.
• Long tailed macaques often live in areas that are populated with people.
• They use tools such as stones to open nuts and oysters.

Long tailed Macaques are so cool. People and monkeys often live together, but the monkeys can be a nuisance. It is important that we remember; feeding wild animals can be bad for them as they learn that humans are not dangerous or that human food is better than their natural diet.

WATERY WEDNESDAY # 51

 WATERY WENESDAY # 51

We’re off in the E & E sub to meet a small and spotty shark! Are you ready to meet this cartilaginous fish? We have room for everyone! Let’s do this!

MEET THE LEOPARD SHARK!

   Range/Habitat: Eastern North Pacific/ oceans-near estuaries

   Diet: Carnivore: invertebrates, crabs

   Length/Weight: up to 7 ft/ up to 71 lb

   Conservation Status: common

 

Fun Facts:

• Leopard Sharks have spots on their backs and sides.
• They have long slender bodies and a large dorsal fin.
• Leopard sharks are harmless to humans.
• Leopard sharks have short round snouts.
• They have strong jaws full of flat teeth for crushing prey.

 

Leopard Sharks certainly earned their name from another famous predator! It sure seems that spots and stripes help you camouflage in with your habitat! What kind of coloration would you want to help you camouflage in with your habitat?

 

 

WEIRD WATERY WEDNESDAY!!!

HALLOWEEN WEEK!

WEIRD WATERY WEDNESDAY!

We’re taking the E & E sub down to the deep depths of the ocean for this Weird Watery Wednesday! We’re on the lookout for a fish with fangs! Don’t worry they don’t bite and suck blood; they use their large teeth for eating prey! Is everyone ready?

MEET THE FANGTOOTH FISH!

   Range/Habitat: Tropical-temperate Ocean waters worldwide

   Diet: Carnivore: fish

   Length: up to 7”

   Conservation Status: common

 

 

 

Fun Facts:

• Fangtooth fish are also named the orgefish.
• Fangtooth live in the deep depths of the ocean.
• They have large heads and small bodies.
• Fangtooth fish can eat prey that is almost as large as they are.
• Fangtooth have the largest teeth of any fish in proportion to their body.
• Their lower teeth fit into specialized pockets in their skulls when their mouths are closed.

 

Wow! Fangtooth fish are crazy weird looking! The deep, deep ocean is full of alien looking creatures! Would you love to be a deep sea explorer?

 

 

REALLY SCARY REPTILIAN TUESDAY!

HALLOWEEN WEEK!

REALLY SCARY REPTILIAN TUESDAY!

We’re staying in the grasslands of Africa on this Really Scary Reptilian Tuesday to meet one of the most deadly snakes in the world. We’ll be looking for this reptile from the safari truck so everyone stays safe! Are you ready?

 

MEET THE BLACK MAMBA!

   Range/Habitat: East-South Africa/ forests-grasslands

   Diet: Carnivore: birds, small mammals

   Length: 8 ¼-11 ft

   Conservation Status: common

 

 

 

Fun Facts:

• Black Mambas are very fast, they can reach speeds of 12 ½ mph.
• Black mambas are extremely venomous.
• They are a brown/gray color. They get their name from the color of the inside of their mouths.
• Black mambas are very territorial.
• They are diurnal (active during the day).
• Black mambas can be fatal to humans.

Black mambas are very dangerous and should be watched from a distance for sure! These fast snakes are definitely best left alone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aesop’s Fables Puppet Style!

Aesop’s Fables Rocks!

We went on Friday to catch the new show at the Center for Puppetry Arts, “The Tortoise, The Hare and Other Aesop’s Fables”. This fabulous puppet show aimed at entertaining the little ones, sure does the trick! You sit down and are immediately drawn into a carnival atmosphere with colorful paintings of some of the most famous fables around! Then the lights go down and here comes Cutie and Patootie, our storytellers for the show! These two ladies sing and dance and tell the fables with all kinds of puppetry and audience participation. That’s right folks we were able to sing and dance along with Cutie and Patootie!

The show tells five fables, including The Mouse and the Lion, Country Mouse/City Mouse and the Fox and The Crane.  Each fable is told through different music and types of puppetry. County Mouse/City Mouse was told using shadow puppets. The country mouse goes to see her city cousin and along the way she meets all kinds of animals, including a horse! The best part of this fable was singing along like a horse! Edmond just loved it!

The Fox and the Crane included a giant crane puppet that looked like it was 10 feet tall! It probably was our most favorite puppet in the whole show! The Mouse and Lion had some excellent dancing and of course we were tapping our toes through the whole number!

We don’t want to give away any more of the show, so that you will be surprised! We really enjoyed ourselves! The music, costumes and puppets make for an interactive and fun show that everyone will enjoy! “The Tortoise, The Hare and Other Aesop’s Fables”, opens Aug 2^nd and runs til Sept 7^th. For more information about tickets and times check out the Center for Puppetry Arts website!  Grab your dancing shoes and get down to the Center as fast you can!

After you see the show, you can make your own mouse puppet! Look how cute he is!

 

OLYMPIC ANIMALS DAY # 4

OLYMPIC ANIMALS DAY #4

Day four of our Olympic animal week takes us to deserts of the Southwestern U.S. We’re looking for a small rodent that will take on the long jump! Let’s all practice our hoping skills and meet…

MEET THE MERRIAN KANGAROO RAT!

   Range/Habitat: Southwestern U.S.-Northern Mexico/deserts-scrubs

   Diet: Herbivores: seeds, vegetation

   Length/Weight: 3 ¼-5 ½”/ 7/16- 1 5/8 oz

   Conservation Status: Common

 

 

Fun Facts:

• Merrian Kangaroo rats are the smallest member of the kangaroo rat family.
• They have large back legs and feet.
• Merrian kangaroo rats have long slender tails that help them balance when they hop or stand!
• They move much like a kangaroo.
• Merrian kangaroo rats can jump 7-8ft in one leap!
• They are neither kangaroos nor rats!
• Merrian kangaroo rats live in burrows.
• They’re adapted to survive on little water.

 

Kangaroo rats are just so cute, with their fat bodies and their kangaroo like features. And man can they leap! We’re going to practice our hopping skills today. Edmond is much better than Ellie for sure!

 

FEATHERY FRIDAY # 40

FEATHERY FRIDAY# 40

Yesterday we met a cute little rainforest bird, but today we’re going to meet a big raptor! We’re taking a hike in the woods to see if we can find this handsome feathered friend!

MEET THE RED KITE!

   Range/Habitat: Europe-West Asia-North Africa/ forests-woodlands

   Diet: Carnivore: small mammals, carrion

   Length/Weight: 24-26”/ 27-36 lbs

   Conservation Status: Near threatened

 

 

Fun Facts:

• Red kites are agile fliers.
• They have a wide wing span and forked tails.
• Red kites often tilt side to side while they fly.
• Red kites have pale grey heads.
• They are diurnal (active during the day).
• Red kites are primarily scavengers.
• Mother red kites have their chicks play “dead” to avoid predators like fox.

These handsome birds were almost extinct in parts of the UK. They have had their numbers grow after a group of dedicated people have worked to save them. That’s good, because the skies are more beautiful when there are red kites flying!

  

Interview with Zack the Rabbit!

We’re wrapping up Rabbit Week with an interview with our pal Zack the Rabbit, who has an internet show called Cooks with Rabbits every Saturday! Let’s all sit down and get to know Zack and his pals!

E & E: Hi Zack! Tell us a bit about yourself!

Hi, I’m Zackary Rabbit. I’m the chef on “Cooking with Rabbits – Rabbits are the CHEF; NOT the Meal!!” #cookinwifrabbits a twitter cooking show airing every saturday afternoon (3:30pmEDT).
I live with a bunch of stuffed bunnies on my Plushateer’s bed and take care of my Plushateer. We bunnies make short movies, take lots of funny pictures and I also draw a #webcomic called “It Must Be A Tuesday” that I post each Tuesday. In my spare time, I enjoy playing video games.
We like to make people laugh with our silly photos and just share our adventures with the rest of the anipal community.

E & E: Wow! All of those activities must keep you busy! That is so nice that you take care of your Plushateer and work so hard to make people laugh! How are old are you?

I’m going to be 12 in April this year! Holy bun, I’m an old rabbit! hahaha!!

E & E: You’re not old! Twelve is a fun age! Do you have any brothers/ best friends?

I have many brothers. Rufus is my partner in crime. He’s younger and a bit naive, but he’s good to have around when you need to blame something on someone! Haha! Rufus’ favourite thing is food – any food – and he helps me on my cooking show because he gets to eat at the end.
Big Guy or BG is another brother. He’s twice the size of me. Big Guy enjoys watching movies and cuddling. He’s second in line for plushateer-support.
I have many, many other brothers; you can see some of them here.
As for furrends, I have the most bunnderful furrends on twitter!! The community there is so magical. They are there to laugh with you and cry with you, no matter if it’s sunny days or cloudy days. Without them, I would not be the rabbit I am today. What more can I say?

Zack and his pals!

 

E & E: Rufus is a great friend to have! Having so many anipals on twitter is great! They can make you smile!

We just love Cooks with Rabbits! How did you get started?

Cooking with Rabbits started in kind of a funny way. My ITGuy enjoys cooking, but seldom has the time. So every Saturday, we tried to put aside some time to try a new recipe, or make something different. We’d take pictures of the finished food and send them to ITGuy’s cousin to make him jealous! *giggles* (We kept inviting the cousin, but he was always busy, so we wanted to show him what he was missing!! Wahahah!!) As time went on, I’d include preparation pics and it became a series of how-to photos. Twitter furrends started enjoying the show so much; we continued to make them every week. This year is our 4th year!! WOW!

E &E: Wow, four years is a long run! We hope to enjoy many more!

Which episode is your favorite?

My favourite episode…it’s hard to choose, I loved making so many of them.. hmm…but I’d probably say Chocolate Chip Cookies or Banana Bread. Those are some of my favourite recipes, and the more “risqué” pics in those episodes got a lot of attention (and giggles from the “pawdience” hee hee).

E & E: We love the Banana Bread episode too!

Have you ever had an accident in the kitchen?

I’ve never had an accident cooking in the kitchen, but one time plushateer (who carries me all the time, everywhere), opened the fridge to get something, and someone had left a half-drunk bottle of raspberry cooler open in there. She accidentally knocked it, and in trying to catch the bottle before it smashed on the floor, the pink coloured cooler landed mostly on my face!! UGH!! I had to have a spin in the dreaded washing machine after that to get out the smell and colour!! Grr!! (I hate the washing machine, if you haven’t figured that out yet. heh.)

Somebunny loves carrots!

E & E: Ack! The dreaded washing machine is scary!

You’re always dressed so nice! Do you have a stylist?

Yes, I do have a stylist! Snuffy Norton (@snuffynorton) is the designer of Bearmani clothing, custom clothing for stuffed bears and animals. He makes a lot of my clothes for me. Otherwise, if I’m feeling lazy, I’ll wear BABW (build a bear workshop) jeans and hoodies. http://shop.bearmani.com/

Zack looks great in his chef's outfit!

E &E: Snuffy knows how to make a snappy outfit!

What’s your favorite part of doing the Cooks with Rabbits show?

A Cooking with Rabbits shows take about an average about 6-8 hours to make. Making the food, and posing for each pictures, then editing photos, creating animations, or adding backgrounds if required… all take quite a long time to do. Not to mention, the hare and make up before and clean up afterwards! Heh. But my favourite part of making my cooking shows? Paws-down, is reading the comments that people leave afterwards. It makes me so happy that my show brings laughter and smiles to so many people. When I see those silly comments by furrends and fans that makes me feel like it’s all worth it.

Zack with his new puppy- Mia!

E & E: Wow! It sure takes a long time to make an episode! We sure are glad that you work so hard to make them! We sure do love them and we know that there are loads of fans out there that really enjoy them too! Thanks for doing an interview with us! You’re the best!

You can find Zack the Rabbit products on his zazzle page- with the #cookinwifrabbits pics.. http://www.zazzle.com/zackrabbit the aprons are quite popular as are the mugs! *hugs*

You can follow Zack on twitter @ZackRabbit and be sure that you check out his website for new episodes! Zack also has a YouTube channel with some AMAZING videos! The Mission Impossible Video is our Favorite!