The Quest for the Best goes on! Today, Emma explores a unique ecosystem: The Petrified Forest. Will the rare fossilized wood of this place be the key to winning this leg of the race?
Let’s tune in and find out.

Hi listeners (and readers) it’s me, Nat reporting on our contestants journey.
Wahoo!! We’re onto the last stretch of this quest! Emma and Ryan both visited interesting parks this time. Thank you Earth Ranger Sasha for suggesting the Petrified Forest! It was a lovely idea.

Emma was lucky to spend time in the Petrified Forest of Arizona. There you can find some of the oldest rocks in the world! Back in the Triassic age, when dinosaurs walked the Earth instead of us, these rocks were actually trees! Over time an ancient river fossilized these trees into the “petrified wood” they are today and gave the park its name.

Only by taking a closer look at petrified wood can you really see how pretty it has become!  The wood is now almost completely made of quartz, with some amethyst, citrine and iron giving it a beautiful rainbow colour. 

These is more than just awesome old trees in this national park! Emma was able to snap a few photos of a fascinating creature: The Earless Lizard.

Just like its name, the Earless Lizard does not have any ear slits. Instead, it “hears” through vibrations. These little guys love the heat, more than most typical lizards! While basking during the day, they will change their position to control how much sun they take, and when nighttime comes these lizards dig under the sand to stay warm.

And how about Ryan? Where did he travel to this time? Did he succeed at finding a truly unique ecosystem as well? He made his way to Valley of Fire in Nevada. It is indeed a stunning sight. At sunset, it literally looks like the valley is on fire (yup, that’s where they got the name). Definitely beautiful place to stop at!

What about the wildlife? Well, there are some pretty cool creatures that call Valley of Fire home. You may have heard of one of them… The Jackrabbit.

Based on its name, you might think a jackrabbit is, well, a rabbit…but you’d be mistaken! Jackrabbits are actually hares. Rabbits are small and like to hide underground. Unlike rabbits, hares live above ground and have longer ears and legs. This makes them a lot faster and able to outrun predators. Strange, right? You can find Jackrabbits in deserts, scrublands, and wide open spaces. They’re important prey for other animals, which is why they have SO many babies. A female jackrabbit can have several litters per year, and each litter can produce between one to six babies! Talk about a lot of brothers and sisters!

Earth Rangers, we’re onto the last of Emma and Ryan’s assignments! Both need to go big (and then go home). To win – they need to find a last fact about the biggest mammals! Can you think of HUGE creatures that live in America, where could Emma find one?

Time for this episode’s trivia competition: The first person to type the correct answer to this Trivia question into the comments will win a “keep on ranging” podcast T-shirt for their avatar:

“What is the biggest reptile in the world?”

Use the comments to guess the correct answer.  The first person to submit the right answer wins!! As always, the winner will be announced next episode!

🎺 Congratulations to Earth Ranger Ady for being the first person to get it right! 🎺
The answer to the previous episode’s question:“What disease is bothering many bats across North America?” is …“White nose syndrome”!
Be sure to check your inbox for the award code to receive your special t-shirt.

Have an idea where Emma can find a BIG mammal? Let us know in the comments!
But be careful – Don’t forget the no airplane rule!

Do you have some great trivia facts about large mammals to share? Emma needs all the trivia she can get to help her win the competition!