Monday, October 10, 2011

Wonder Bugs - Tails at Night!

Do I have a tale for you! It’s a tale of wonder and delight.  Once upon a time…a few small groups of intrepid and very young explorers set out in the middle of the night in search of nocturnal woodland critters. Not a soul was scared and everyone was able to see in the dark. They found a raccoon with a striped bushy tail washing its hands in the creek and a small opossum climbing down a tree, hanging on with its tail.  They courageously observed as a black tail with a white stripe was seen above the tips of the grasses; the skunk thankfully did not spray. At the end of the path they came across a creature covered from head to tail in feathers. The Great Horned Owl hooted and then flew in search of mice to eat. The explorers were excited and satisfied with their night hike and went back inside hoping for more. The end.

For the wonder bugs last week, that hiking adventure (written above in highly embellished form) was only the beginning of the imaginative fun! Opossums are marsupials or mammals that carry their young in pouches like kangaroos; they are the only marsupial in North America.  So the wonder bugs creatively used scarves and pine cones and pretended to carry baby opossum in their pouches. 

You can tell some animals apart by looking at their tails. The wonder bugs matched some tails with their “missing” bodies. It was also humorous seeing what a river otter would look like with a white cotton tail!
And let us not forget how wild it is to play dead, just like opossums. Can you do it without giggling? Can you do it without moving?  Ready, set, go!

Join us in two weeks on a search for Signs of Life!
Miss Tara

Next Wonder Bugs Session:
SIGNS OF LIFE

9:30-10:45 am
Tuesday, October 18 & Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Registration Deadline: Friday, October 14, 2011

Sometimes animals leave us clues like scat or tracks that tell us about their actions. Come be a nature detective and find the animal clues that might be right under your nose- or your foot! Click here to register!

Single session: ALNC Members: $6/child; Non-Members: $7/child
Package option: All 7 sessions: $38.50/members; $45.50/non-members
 

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