North America Archives - The National Wildlife Federation Blog
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The National Wildlife Federation's blogFri, 08 Jan 2016 15:08:40 +0000en-US
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These TV segments always go by too quickly, and I can never get in all the cool facts about the animals and conservation messages that I want to. So, watch the clip and then keep reading to get even more info about each of these cool wild animals.
Don’t forget to let us know which one was your favorite in the comments section!
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Here’s more info on each of the animals featured in the segment.
Caiman Lizard (Dracaena guianensis)
Native to South America
Common in the Amazon basin
Spends most of time in water and is a strong swimmer
Long, flat tail similar to that of crocodilans (such as caimeas, for which they are named) and aid in swimming
Also good climbers and hang out in trees overhanging the water
Predatory with powerful jaws used for crushing shells of their primary prey, snails
Also feed on crabs, insects and sometimes fish, small mammals and amphibians
Caiman lizard scales. Photo via Flickr Creative Commons.
Fisher (Martes pennanti)
Native to North America
Found in northern forests in across Canada and the northern U.S. with some small populations in California and western mountains
Member of the weasel family
Also called the “fisher cat” even though it is not a cat
Males twice the size of females and tend to have more golden or grizzled fur
Found in forests across Canada and northern U.S.
Arboreal (lives in trees) but often hunts on the ground too
Predatory and opportunistic, feeding on squirrels, rabbits, birds, mice and even foxes
One of the few predators of porcupines – attack the face and flips them over to feed on their quill-less bellies
Fisher. Photo by Josh More via Flickr Creative Commons.
Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus)
Native to South America
Live in dryer, more open woodland and grassland environments in Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina
Back is covered by thick, leathery shell made up of a front dome and back dome separated by 3 segments (hence the animal’s name)
Can roll into a tight ball to use shell to protect head, limbs and belly from predators; only armadillo species that can do this
Doesn’t dig its own burrows like other armadillos but instead uses burrows of other animals
Feeds on insects, particularly ants and termites, but also eats fruit
Near-Threatened Species – due to hunting by humans and habitat loss
Three-banded armadillo. Photo by Brittney Bush Bollay via Flickr Creative Commons.
Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans)
Native to North America
Found throughtout eastern half United States wherever there are woods
Very common but almost never seen because they are nocturnal and live way up in the trees
Doesn’t really fly but rather glides using special skin flaps called patagium
Uses tail as a rudder to steer and turn in mid-air
Feeds on usual squirrel fare of nuts, seeds, buds, but this species is also highly carnivorous, preying on insects, birds, and even other rodents
Preyed upon by owls and other nocturnal predators
Will visit bird feeders and also pile into bird nesting boxes in the winter for warmth
Southern Flying Squirrel. Photo by Joshua Mayer via Flickr Creative Commons.
Cane Toad (Bufo marinus)
Native to South America
Toads are a type of frog
Frogs are declining worldwide due to habitat loss, invasive species, climate change, disease
Cane toads are NOT declining and in fact are one of the worst invasive exotic species in Australia, where they were deliberately introduced to control cane beetles but instead ate the native endemic wildlife
Large parotid glands produce toxins to deter predators – so big they can cause fatal poisoning in pets and other predators that try to eat them
NWF Naturalist David Mizejewski shares a cane toad on NBC’s Today Show.