Chris caught this little guy out by our trash. Before we released him back to the wild to find his mama, we decided to put on our scientist hats and observe him. I asked the girls if they thought he was mammal and they said "yes". Then I asked what they could observe about him that would make them classify him that way. They said, "he has fur", "he has a backbone" and "he has live babies". I said, "hmm....how can you tell that by looking at him?" Mia said, "well he doesn't look like he lays eggs*." Our little friend let the girls know when they got too close to him by growling at them and when we watched him from afar, we noticed he got much more active in trying to escape from his cage, climbing up the sides and across the top.I'm told we live in a forrest so we are sure to encounter more woodland--and other--creatures while we are studying animals. Meeting them will be part of the fun.
*Something I learned about mammals--there are a couple--like the platypus--that do lay eggs. Also, bats are the only flying mammals.
Somebody has been eating our tomatoes and we're wondering if it's another groundhog. They are furry and have a backbone and don't look like they lay eggs either. Smart girl, Mia!
ReplyDeleteGrace, I'm mailing your B-day present tomorrow.
Love,
Gramma