Mystery from "Down Under"
Our friends in Australia heard that we are studying Australian animals and sent this photo.Clue: This is a sleepy fuzzy creature with a pouch.
Do you know the animal Lucy is holding?
posted by Mrs. Newton @ 4/03/2006
11 comments
11 Comments:
What perfect timing, Lucy. Our class had a distance learning workshop with the Indianapolis Zoo today. This is rather like seeing the zoo animals and zoo keepers on a large television screen. But they can also see and hear us at the same time. We had even more fun today because a school in New York also joined the workshop! Our whole workshop was about Aussie animals. We think we know this marsupial, but will blog more to you tomorrow.
Bye for now, in the USA
Is it a kangaroo?
Dear Anonymous,
We don't think so. This animal looks too round and furry.We think it could be a relative of a koala.
Lucy,
We have some questions for you...
Aren't you afraid to hold this animal? I would be afraid.
Katlyn
Does this animal bite people? Merika
I think this is a burrowing animal, maybe like our groundhog. If so, then this animal would be an herbivore, plant eater.
Mrs. Newton
We think that this animal is a WOMBAT!
We didn't know that wombats get this big.
Lucy,
What is the animal? Is it a wombat? We are waiting on your answer.
Sorry to be so long in answering your questions but we have had some difficulty with our computer connection at school.
I was not afraid to hold the cuddly wombat - but she was SO heavy! I was more worried about dropping her.
Her fur was so rough - and she was very sleepy because it was daytime and she is a nocturnal animal - so she kept falling asleep in my arms!
Her claws were so strong and sharp because she uses them to dig holes with. I don't think she would bite - but she has strong teeth! In the middle of her belly she has a small pouch to hold her baby in.
I saw her at the Caversham Wildlife Park.
Regards
Lucy
Lucy,
We are now having our summer break at school. I am sure the kids will be glad to here from you. Many have Internet and will check the blog from home.
We loved seeing your picture with the wombat. We only read about these animals in books. As we studied about Australian animals, we discovered many unique animals that do not live here in the Americas, It must be fun to have kangaroos, koalas, and wombats nearby!
Ron told me that he sent you some fossils I had sent him as a mystery. Have you solved that mystery?
Those fossils are keeping us searching and researching - so far the only one we think we have a name for is the crinoid stem - we found some similar to these while on camp at the Irvin River Coal Seam near Geralton in Western Australia. We will keep trying to solve the mystery for you!
There is one fossil that we wish we could send you called a stromatolite - these are found at many palces on the coast of Western Australia and are thought to be the oldest fossils on earth - unfortunately we are not allowed to remove them from their beach locations. Here are two web links about them.
http://www.sharkbay.org/terrestial_enviroment/page_15.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s69379.htm
We do so love your blogging site Mrs Newton and have just told our friends at Exmouth to join in your mysteries as well - their school is located right near the famous Ningaloo Reef - hopefully they will start sending you some marine challenges as well!
Look how beautiful it is up north
where they live!
http://www.discoverwest.com.au/western_australia/ningaloo_reef.html
Happy holidays from
the Upper Primary students at Riverlands School, Perth. Australia
Dear River Rats,
I am glad you are enjoying the blog. Wow, I had never heard of stromatolites! I did look at the web sites you sent along. It is hard for me to imagine the beauty of where these are located. My fossils are along a small waterfall area along a gorge. I find the fossils in the rocky hillsides.I will go there next week and get a photo for you. Until then, go to http://www.waynet.org/facts/gorge_fossils.htm to find out more about our fossils.
I do so hope that your friends in Exmouth also join us.
P.S. This fossil mystery and other mysteries from Indiana are on another blog that you can find at http://authorvisitsindiana.blogspot.com
Post a Comment
<< Home