Animal Squad

Hello everyone! For this blog post the Animal Squad has made a video showcasing our dogs and providing some quick facts about them. In the video making process, Austin, Darren and Nicola were tasked with recording their dogs which were the Golden Retriever, mixed breed half-Pomeranian half-Chihuahua and the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel respectively. Daniel would do the introduction and the editing and Joelle would do the outro. Without further a do, enjoy the video.

Hey guys,  today's post is about the Emperor penguin Emperor Penguin The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species. The male and female are similar in size, reaching 122cm (4ft) in height and weighing from 22 to 45 kg. Their appearance is quite distinct to the other penguin species with the black backside, white belly, pale-yellow breast and bright yellow ear patches Like all the other penguins they are flightless, they are more suited for a marine habitat with streamlined body and wings flattened into flippers Emperor Penguin flying through water Here is an Emperor Penguin up close Interesting Facts: life span is typically 20 years in the wild they can be submerged up to 18 min Their diet consists of mostly fish, but can include crustaceans and cephalopods -Joelle

Hello everyone! Today’s post is about one of the most intelligent animals in the animal kingdom, the raven. The Raven Their intelligence gives them the ability to be one of the most versatile birds in existence. Like parrots, ravens also have the ability to mimic the noises they hear including speech. Here’s a video that shows this off. Even though a flock of ravens is known as an “unkindness”, ravens have been seen to console each other after one loses a fight and even the victim and aggressor affiliate with each other afterwards. Ravens are also very playful birds, rolling down hills or taunting other animals. - Daniel

In today's blog we will be having a look at some interesting facts on one of the popular dog breeds the pug! Did you know...... Pugs originated from China Pugs are an ancient breed and are believed to have existed before 400BCE Pugs can't handle extreme weather. It stresses them out and they get sick easily Pugs can snore as loud as a jet plane. Otis the pug holds the record for the loudest snore by a dog at 96 decibels   Pugs are described as comedians of dogs A group of pugs is called a grumble Pugs can also be fully black in colour Pugs shed a lot dispute there short fur Pugs are the biggest of the small dog breed/toy group - Darren

Pomeranian The Pomeranian comes from a breed of dog from the Spitz type that is originated in Poland and Germany in the Central Europe. The dog comes in different colours such as black, white, grey and brown and are extremely fluffy. The dog is very popular across the world as pets to keep because of their small characteristics and figure, which are adored by everyone. White Pomeranian This video shows the size of Pomeranian at birth and how small it is but still extremely fluffy. Nevertheless, Pomeranian are one the best breed of dogs you can keep because of how playful as a companion to have by your side. Austin Vuong

Hey guys, Today's post is about the hedgehog Hedgehog Hedgehogs are easily recognisable by their spines, which are hollow hairs made out of keratin There are seventeen species of hedgehog, they are found through parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and in New Zealand. There are no native hedgehogs in Australia and in America A defence mechanism that the hedgehog has is that it can roll into a ball that points its spines outward Hedgehog rolling into ball Here's a hedgehog getting a bath: Interesting facts: Hedgehogs are omnivores, they feed on insects, snails, frogs and even watermelon Hedgehogs can be pets, the most common species are hybrids of the white bellied hedgehog or the four toed hedgehog Despite popular belief hedgehogs do not travel at the speed of sound -Joelle

Hello everyone! Today’s post is going to be on the Quokka. The Quokka The Quokka is a nocturnal marsupial that resides mainly on Rottnest Island off the coast near Perth. Being marsupials, they have a pouch and their offspring are called joeys. A quokka will most commonly have one baby each year. A Quokka family They may look small and cute but like the stereotypical Australian wildlife they are, they come equipped with sharp claws on their feet just like kangaroos and are ready to attack when threatened! Leaping into action! Here's a popular video of a Quokka in action. Extra facts: They’re the only land mammal on Rottnest Island. They’re the smallest member of the macropod family which includes kangaroos. Since they have few natural predators, they are not fearful of larger animals like humans. - Daniel

Arapaima Also known as the paiche or the pirarucu, the  arapaima is an air-breathing fish that plies the rain forest rivers of South America's Amazon Basin and nearby lakes and swamps. One of the world's largest freshwater fish, these giants can reach 9 feet long and weigh up to 440 pounds. The Jumping Arapaima This video shows the strength and how powerful an arapaima can be. As the people tried to net the arapaima, which made the arapaima react and jump over the nets which was around 1 metre with incredible strength. Also, it requires at least 3 or more to handle a full grown Arapaima and also this great creature is endangered to over fishing. Austin Vuong

Hey Everyone, In today's blog will be looking at some interesting facts about  Siberian Husky. Did you know.... A Husky's howl can be heard 15km away They only shed twice a year Huskies are not good guard dogs due to being friendly with strangers and unsuspicious  Huskies do not get fatigued due their ability to change and regulate their metabolism They are closely related to wolves Huskies are bred for extremely cold weather. They have: A thick double coat that keeps them warm in temperatures below zero Fur on their toes keeps paws insulated. Their claws enable them to maintain a grip on icy ground. They’re also great diggers, and will scoop out holes in the snow for a place to burrow and shelter themselves from the wind and will wrap their tails around their faces while they sleep as their breath warms the tail and keeps the nose and face protected from the cold Huskies are difficult to train Are known to be great escape artists - Darren

KANGAROO'S Kangaroo’s are a national symbol of Australia. Our Australian airline Qantas also uses the Kangaroo as their symbol. The Kangaroo also features under Australia’s coat of arms, coins and postage stamps. Kangaroo’s are marsupials.   A baby Kangaroo is called a Joey. A male Kangaroo is a boomer and a female Kangaroo a flyer.   A Kangaroo usually live to around six years old. There are four different Kangaroo species: Red Kangaroo Eastern Grey Kangaroo Western grey Kangaroo Antilopine Kangaroo The Red Kangaroo is the largest Kangaroo and therefore largest marsupial in the world. The Red Kangaroo can grow up to 2 metres and can reach a top speed of over 65 km/h. On land Kangaroo hop around quickly on their hind legs or slowly on all four legs. Kangaroos cannot walk backwards. However, Kangaroos can swim by kicking each leg independently. A Kangaroos legs are very powerful and potentially dange

Hey guys, Today's post is about the very cute Red panda The Red panda also called the lesser panda or the red bear cat is a mammal native to the eastern Himalayas and southern China. It's main features are its reddish brown fur a long shaggy tail and it's short legs. The creatures body length measures about 50 to 64 cm, it is slightly larger than an average domestic cat. It mainly feeds on bamboo, but also eats eggs, birds and insects. Here are some Red pandas in action Interesting Facts: The Red panda are considered to be endangered with a wild population of only 10,000 mature individuals. These animals are the only living species to be in the Ailurus genus and the family Ailuridae The species are generally quite with only some twittering and twitting/whistling for communication -Joelle

Hello Everyone, Today’s post in going to be about armadillos. The nine-banded armadillo is the state animal of Texas Armadillos are mammals that are native to the Americas, mainly Central and South America thus its name is Spanish meaning 'little armoured one'.  They are well known for their natural armour which protects them from most of their predators. Armadillos aren’t social animals as they spend most of their time sleeping because they are nocturnal and sleep for up to 19 hours a day. Even though they aren’t social they still like to have fun and play. Extra facts Only one species is found in the U.S. the nine-banded armadillo. Tolypeutes aka three-banded armadillos are the only species that can roll into a ball for protection. Three-banded armadillo rolled up in a ball The nine-banded armadillo is the only mammal that provides reliable results of polyembryony as they always give birth to four genetically