ASK!

Lookit me! I’m cute and fluffy!

This adorably fluffy creature is the Quokka (Setonix brachyurus), a small, cat-sized marsupial from the macropod family. Read more »

You may have seen one of these cute creatures (though some may consider them less than pretty) in local pet stores. These wrinkly skinny pigs, commonly known as the hairless guinea pig, have a distinct hairless appearance as compared to usual guinea pigs.

Skinny pigs do not belong to the pig family, neither are all of them skinny. Despite their hairless appearance, Skinnies can be much more expensive than a normal guinea pig from local pet stores.

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What’s taxidermy? Here’s a hint. Think skin-deep.

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Are you excited about the new giant pandas coming to town? On 6 September 2012, Singapore will be welcoming two giant pandas from China, named Kai Kai (凯凯) and Jia Jia (嘉嘉). They will be housed at the Yangtze River zone of the upcoming River Safari and they are expected to stay in Singapore for 10 years.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore hopes that this collaboration with China Wildlife Conservation Association can increase “public awareness on wildlife conservation and develop a breeding programme for these endangered animals.”

Now, before you visit the giant pandas at the River Safari, here are some curious facts about them we bet you didn’t know:
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Shedding, which is a natural loss of fur in dogs, allows a new coat to grow in its place. Generally, there is nothing to worry about as your dog’s hair will grow back.

However, Alopecia – or hair loss in dogs – can affect a pet’s entire coat or certain parts of the body, resulting in unsightly patches. Read on to learn about the variety of reasons for hair loss in dogs.
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Scientists have a few theories as to why birds bob their heads when walking. Some of the theories are that it assists birds with balance and sharpens the birds’ vision.

Most studies also suggest that birds in motion bob their heads to stabilize their visual surroundings. Unlike us, we depend on our eye movements rather than our head movements to hold the images presented to us while in moving. The back and forth movement is not random head bobbing. In fact, the head stays in one place while the body walks past it. The head jerks forward, after the body has passed, and the movement repeats itself.

The perceived “bobbing” helps to keep the head still and allows the bird to focus on one spot for a longer period of time.

References:

1. Web Article – Eyes on the target: why birds bob their heads (http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu)

2. Web Article – Everyday Mysteries (http://www.loc.gov)

(Last Accessed: 23rd August 2011)

For more information of pigeons or to know other interesting facts about birds, do check out the following books!

1.

All Rights Reserved, Minneapolos, Minn: Lerner Publications Co., c2010

Title: Let’s look at Pigeons by Janet Piehl

Publisher: Minneapolos, Minn: Lerner Publications Co., c2010

Call No: JP English 598.6 PIE

2.

All Rights Reserved, Great Bardfield, Essex: Bardfield Press, 2007

Title: 100 Facts on Birds by Jinny Johnson

Publisher: Great Bardfield, Essex: Bardfield Press, 2007

Call No: J English 598 .1 JOH

3.

All Rights Reserved, New York, NY: Scholastic, c2010

Title: Birds by Melvin Berger

Publisher: New York, NY: Scholastic, c2010

Call No: J English 598 BER

Posted by Ms Aslin Harminah Anuar, Children’s Librarian

The reticulated pythons are the world’s longest snakes.
Adult male reticulated pythons can grow up to 10 metres long and can weigh more than 180kg.  They live in the woods and rain forests of Southeast Asia and are good swimmers. The skin of a reticulated python is mostly grey or light brown.
Reticulated pythons hunt for food at night and wait quietly in trees for their prey to come by. They will flick their tongues in and out when sensing an animal is near. They will then sneaks quietly behind and bite them with its sharp and curved teeth. Following that, the python wraps itself around the animal and squeeze it hard until the animal can’t breathe and dies.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest snake ever kept in captivity is a reticulated python which measured 7.3 metres.
Other long snakes are the green anaconda which measures up to 9 metres long and the African rock python which is 7.6 metres long.

Sources:

www.guinessworldrecords.com (Last Accessed: 29th July 2011)

www.wildsingapore.com/wildfacts/vertebrates/snakes/reticulatus.htm (Last Accessed: 29th July 2011)

For more information, check out these books!

All Rights Reserved, Fitzroy, Vic, Black Dog Books, 2010
Title: The Snake Book: Slip Sliding Away by Damian Goodall
Publisher: Fitzroy, Vic, Black Dog Books, 2010
Call No: J 597.96 GOO

All Rights Reserved, Bearport Pub, c2010
Title: Reticulated pythons: The world’s longest snake by Merish Goldish
Publisher: New York, Bearport Pub,  c2001
Call No: JP 597.96 GOL

Posted by Aslin Harminah, Children’s Librarian

Well, that depends on the type of pandas!

The giant panda, otherwise scientifically known as the Ailuropoda melanoleuca, is a bear! Physically, the giant panda does resemble a bear, with its stubby tail and bulky physique. It has “black and white fur and feeds on bamboo forests at high altitudes in western China”. Also, it can be found in the Himalayas as well.

However, the other type of panda, known as the red or lesser panda, the Ailurus fulgens , has “thick reddish brown fur”, “white face markings and a long ringed tail.” The lesser panda belongs to the raccoon family and unlike the giant panda which is a solitary animal, the lesser panda prefers to “live in pairs or small groups in bamboo forests.”

Sources:
1) Brittancia Online Reference Center: Giant Panda-Ailuropoda melanoleuca
2) Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia:Panda
3) Kids Infobits: Pandas

For more information on pandas, do check out these books!

All Rights Reserved, Mankato, Minn. : Capstone Press
Giant Pandas by Lyn A. Sirota
Cal Number: JP English 599.789 SIR
Check item availability here

All Rights Reserved, Minneapolis, Minn. : Lerner Publications Co
Giant Pandas by Michelle Levine
Call Number: JP English 599.789 LEV
Check item availability here

All Rights Reserved, New York : PowerKids Press, 2009
Save The Panda by Sarah Eason
Call Number: J English 599.789 EAS
Check item availability here

Posted By:

Ms Chen Wanying
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Image is retrieved from: http://www.bahighlife.com/Adventure/Batty-for-safari.html

[I often see flying bats late at night near the trees by the road, at the eastern side of Singapore. Once, I was feeling adventurous and took a closer look at a hanging bat on a low branch, its small furry face and big beady eyes look rather cute! The urge to pet it came but, it looked so comfortable wrapped underneath it's wings...and I did not want to overstay my welcome! Where have you seen bats in Singapore? Do you find them cute or scary?]

Bats are the only mammals that can fly!
Unlike birds that lay eggs and have feathers, bats have fur, are warm-blooded and give birth to live babies. Not all bats look alike as there are nearly one thousand different types of bats. For example, the large flying fox bat has a wingspan as wide as a child’s bed and is a strong swimmer, using its wings to row itself.

According to ‘Pigs aren’t dirty, bears aren’t slow : and other truths about misunderstood animals’ by Joanna Boutilier: “Bats are incredible creatures who help the earth immensely. Bats devour billions of mosquitoes, flies, beetles, and worms each year. Some farmers now install bat houses in their orchards and fields so that more bats will come to eat the pests that damage crops. Bats also help pollinate many flowers and to spread the seeds of many fruits so that new fruit will grow.”

Reference:
Boutilier , Joanna . (2005). Pigs aren’t dirty, bears aren’t slow : and other truths about misunderstood animals. Toronto : Annick Press.

If you want to read more on the topic, here are books that you can check out at our libraries.

All Rights Reserved, N.Y. : Bearport Pub., c2010

The bat’s cave : a dark city by Joyce Markovics
Publisher: New York, N.Y. : Bearport Pub., c2010
Call No.: J 599.4 MAR
Click here to check for item availability

All Rights Reserved, PowerKids Press, 2010.

Bats in the dark by Doreen Gonzales
Publisher: New York : PowerKids Press, 2010.
Call No.: J 599.4 GON
Click here to check for item availability

All Rights Reserved, PowerKids Press, 2009.

Bats : nature’s night flyers by Frankie Stout
Publisher: New York : PowerKids Press, 2009.
Call No: J 599.4 STO
Click here to check for item availability

All websites are last accessed on 17 Sept 2010. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Ms Judy Kong Siew Choo
Children’s Librarian
Children’s Services

Image is retrieved from:

http://www.elegantgoldbuys.com/page/1202355

Most of us have heard of Aesop’s fable: The Hen That Laid The Golden Eggs (in some versions, it is a goose). In real life, there are no animals that can lay golden eggs. However, there are blue eggs!

According to Henerson’s Chicken Breed Chart:  
Eggs can come in different colors, such as shades of white, creamy white, brown and blue, depending on the breed of the hen. The most unique egg color will be blue. The hens of Ameraucana and Araucana breed lay blue eggs.

Reference:
Henerson’s Chicken Breed Chart (http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html) Last accessed on 30 June 2010.

If you want to read more on the topic, here are books that you can check out at our libraries.

 
All Rights Reserved, Picture Window Books, c2004

The goose that laid the golden egg : a retelling of Aesop’s fable by LarocheMark White
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Picture Window Books, c2004.
Call No.: JP 398.2 WHI -[FOL]
Click here to check for item availability

All Rights Reserved, Children’s Press, 2009, c2008.

How an egg grows into a chicken by Tanya Kant
Publisher: New York : Children’s Press, 2009, c2008.
Call No.: JP 636.5 KAN
Click here to check for item availability

All Rights Reserved, Minn. : Millbrook Press, c2007.

Guess what is growing inside this egg by Mia Posada
Publisher: Minneapolis, Minn. : Millbrook Press, c2007.
Call No: J 591.4 POS
Click here to check for item availability

Here are websites for information on the topic:
Title: Egg
URL: http://animals.howstuffworks.com/animal-facts/egg-info.htm

All websites are last accessed on 30 June 2010. Please refer to the terms and conditions on the homepages for use.
For the availability of the above book titles, please check the library catalogue.

Ms Chen Luojia
Associate Librarian, Children’s Services