Let’s put your identification skills to the test! Can you figure out what is hidden in this picture? Make your guess in the comments.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a tiger with a shark? Nope that’s not what a tiger shark is.
Today, I’m exploring the mystery of hybrid animals. Animals whose parents are members of different species. We’re not talking Griffons, which are half Eagle, half lion, but there are some hybrid animals out there that are quite real.
What a surprising discovery had on Emma’s trip to Spain! Hybrid animals? Isn’t that… impossible? Don’t hybrid animals come from mythology? Complete fiction?! How can there possibly “pizzly bears” out there?
Yes! Some of these hybrids might be encouraged by humans, but others happen completely normally in nature – like the coywolf: the baby of a wolf and coyote, or the mule – a hybrid of the horse and donkey.
Most, but not all, of these hybrids are sterile. The liger or tigon (lion x tiger) and jalion (jaguar x lion). Two ligers can’t have another liger baby, but a coywolf can! Wolfdogs are also fertile, barely a hybrid species, because of how close the two animals are genetically.
Some types hybrid animals (that are not sterile) have been bred specifically by humans to “create” new species. The Savannah cat breed for example, is a hybrid of the African Serval and the Domestic Cat, while the Bengal breed is a hybrid of the wild “leopard cat” and regular housecats.
There are plenty of cool hybrids out there, like the zorse (horse x zebra), beefalo (bison X cow), cama (camel x llama) and so many more! Are there any we haven’t named that you can think of? Let us know!
Do you have a fun animal mystery you want us to explore?
Let us know in the comments in the Earth Rangers App!
Time:15 min
Difficulty:Medium
Who likes punny jokes? Come over here! Do you think you can you decode this riddle? Use our decoder key below!
This season, Emma is racing across the United States in a high-stakes competition to find the most amazing and surprising animal facts. With her position on the podcast at stake, will she be able to defeat her competition and come out on top?
Emma is finally back at Earth Ranger’s headquarters! After her long journey to find the missing conservation legend Adelia Goodwin, she deserves a good rest – but wait: it seems like our hero is in trouble and desperately needs help. What’s going on at Earth Rangers HQ?
Emma is in trouble, her job is at stake! Turns out that while Emma was on her journey around the world searching for Adelia, someone has been secretly plotting to steal her role as the host of the Earth Rangers podcast. Ryan is new to the team and he won’t stop at nothing to take over the role of podcast host for himself Thankfully, Number 1 is giving Emma a chance to prove herself. Ryan and Emma will be racing across the U.S. and trying to collect animal facts. Whoever has the best ones will win that quest.
The race is on! Emma and Ryan are competing to decide who will get to be the future host of the Earth Rangers podcast. Their first stop, New York City! In the Big Apple Emma is tasked to investigate the secret life of creatures from the city; but what kind of wild animals would want to live in such a bright, loud, and crowded place?
In this episode, Emma presented her first fact: some great turtle trivia! Was it enough? Ryan was able to impress Number 1 with some great bird facts of his own! The two toured New York City, Emma visiting Central Park while Ryan headed straight for the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge. There’s plenty to learn about animals who live around the city, like the Painted Turtle, Musk Turtle, Box Turtle, Piping Plover, Osprey, or American Woodcock!
The race continues! Emma finds herself on her next assignment: Exploring one of America’s famous hiking trails. Which one did our intrepid hero pick? The Appalachian Trail! With much ground to cover, and help from a chance encounter with a certain self-proclaimed “grossologist”, will Emma catch up to Ryan?
Emma’s adventures never end! On today’s trail, she very nearly got lost! But thankfully, she was able to make a new friend who helped her find her way: Ms. Mallory! Thanks to Ms. Mallory’s help, Emma learned a lot about various creepy crawlies. With this information, she was able to impress Number 1 with her super-duper millipede facts.
What day is that? Earth Day! Emma comes to you with a special episode to celebrate this special day. She’s got some good news to share, and much more! What might it all be? Let’s tune in and find out.
The “Quest for the Best” isn’t about to stop Emma from enjoying this special day. Earth Day celebrates the progress that the environmental movement has made, and the impact that raising awareness has helped bring to saving animals and the planet. To celebrate, Emma mentions some pantastic news that’s worth celebrating, as well as reveals her top 5 favorite animals! The final surprise? Emma finally got to listen to the montage of sweet messages you guys have been sending to Emma and the rest of Earth Rangers headquarters!
Our hero’s quest is far from over! This time, Emma dives deep underground, into the world’s longest cave system. What can she learn down there, and who will finally take the lead in the quest for the best?
Emma was super lucky to get to examine the world’s longest cave system: Mammoth Cave. Several different rare animals can be found both underground and above ground around these caves. Bats, bison, prairie dogs. What else? Well, Wind Cave, National Park where Ryan visited holds some interesting elements. Ever heard of “Boxwork” wall? That’s where you can find them!
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?
We’re onto the last stretch of this quest! Emma and Ryan both visited interesting parks this time. Emma found herself in the Petrified Forest of Arizona, where you can find some of the oldest rocks in the world! Ever heard of Petrified Wood? Did you know it was regular wood that’s now completely crystalized? Find out more about earless lizards and jackrabbits who roam these deserts!
The final chapter of the Quest for the Best is here!!
The score is tied and today Emma and Ryan face off with their last challenge: to share facts about the biggest mammal they can find. Who will win? Will Ryan be taking over as the new podcast host?
After so many twists and turns, the final round of The Quest for the Best has reached its end. Ryan and Emma faced off on their last challenge. Emma went to visit the Redwood National and State Park while Ryan visited the Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah. Mountain lions, bears, whales, which animal will win the top fact?
Which episode was your favorite from Emma’s whirlwind tour of America? Which was the coolest fact presented to Number 1?
Do you have any other US trivia or cool animal facts that didn’t make it into the show? Let us know in the comments!
We got tons of great guesses on Part 1 of this Pixel Puzzler and now it’s time for the answer. Are you ready for the great reveal? Find out if you got it right!
The answer to this Pixel Puzzler is (drum roll please) Cicada! How did you do? Tell us in the comments!
Welcome to the multi-faceted world of insect vision.
Today’s bug-eyed mystery is this: What does the world look like to a fly? How about a bee, or a butterfly? Buzz on over to tune in and find out!
The way you see the world depends entirely on your eyesight. The way we see something can change even based on the tools we use: you might wear glasses, contact lenses, or none. It’s different too in the animal kingdom, dogs have a “dichromatic vision” which means they are blind to red-green colors and only see in brown, yellow, blue and gray. Birds can see ultraviolet colors that are invisible to us humans. But what about insects?
Insects’ eyes are built differently from ours. They have thousands of tiny light-sensors called “ommatidia”. These ommatidia are hexagonal-shaped, and are so good that they can see everything that’s going on around them in 360 degrees – like a special crystal!
Insects, like birds, can perceive a different set of colors than we can. They too can perceive ultraviolet lights and are especially sensitive of blue and green colors. Some insects, like humans, have “trichromatic vision”, but instead their red looks closer to black.
Emma’s adventures to answer some mysteries continue!
Be sure to keep an eye out for the next episodes to come.
Get ready detectives! Grab your magnifying glass and detective hat because your new Mission is here! Our Carbon Footprint Investigation team needs your help to slow down climate change.
Our climate is changing at a much faster rate than it has in the past and that’s a big problem.
When greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane are released into the air, they act like a blanket and trap heat near the Earth’s surface, making it warmer. The Earth can re-absorb and release some of these gases, but we are making too much and the planet can’t keep up. More gas trapped in the air means more warming, and that’s bad news for all living things on our planet.
You’ve probably already heard that you can help fight climate change by driving less and saving electricity. Did you know that you can also help by making better choices when you shop? It’s all part of shrinking your carbon footprint.
A good way to help slow down climate change is to shrink your carbon footprint. The amount of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) you create through the products you use and the actions you take. The larger your carbon footprint, the bigger your impact on the planet.
Leave the car at home – If you can, make trips by foot, bicycle, or public transit. Every small effort can help make a difference.
Cut down on waste – Pollution can really add to your carbon footprint. When we recycle, we use less new stuff, this is good for the planet!
Eat local – Feeling hungry? Not to worry! We know that A LOT of emissions are released when products have to travel long distances. So, let’s look for farmer’s markets and shops that sell things that are grown or made close to home.
In this Mission, we give you the tools to investigate the products you have at home to see how they are adding to your carbon footprint. We’ll also share tips that will help you keep your footprint small. So put on your detective hat and let’s get started.
Are you ready to join our Carbon Footprint Investigation team?
Time:30 min
Difficulty:Medium
I see you spotted this recipe! These jaguar paw cookies are a purr-fect treat.
Step 1: Add all your dry ingredients in a big bowl and add the eggs and butter. Mix until you form a dough.
Step 2: Divide your cookie dough into two bowls. Chill the dough in the fridge for about 10-15 mins.
Step 3: While your dough chills, cut your chocolate into small shapes. Try to have some tiny and bigger ones!
Step 4: Spoon some dough out, and use your fingers to spread it into a round shape. Form four more smaller round circles and add them to your first to create a “paw”.
Step 5: Once done, add four chocolate chips at the of each of your small circles to give your jaguar “claws”. Add five squares of chocolate to the centre of these shapes for “pawpads”.
Step 6: Ask an adult for help to preheat the oven to 350°F.
When they are ready, put the cookies in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the edges of your cookies are browned.
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When we think about climate change, species at risk, or experience extreme weather like wildfires and floods, it can cause feelings of worry, sadness and fear. There is a term for it: “eco-anxiety”. But in today’s world, it can be hard to know what we can do about it.
Fortunately, eco-anxiety has a counterpart called eco-action. Eco-action are things we can do that contribute to a healthy natural environment. Research by Earth Rangers shows that eco-action can help manage and cope with feelings of eco-anxiety.
A great first step is to take the time to better understand your own feelings through the Eco-Anxiety to Eco-Action quiz, created collaboratively by Earth Rangers and Kids Help Phone. After answering some questions, you will discover if you are more of a Curious Coyote, a Panda with Potential, or a Confident Caribou. This can help you understand how eco-anxiety might be impacting you and will give you suggestions of ways to take eco-action in your community.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by eco-anxiety, you can connect with Kids Help Phone by text, online message, or a phone.
Check out the quiz to learn more about what can be done to help make a difference!
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