Animal Magic Assembly

South Arbor's middle school, intermediate, and a handful of primary students welcomed some extraordinary guests last week.  Animal Magic is a collection of exotic animals that travels all over the country and increases wonder and exposure to the natural world.  We oo'ed and ahh'ed at the amazing creatures we saw!  We learned unbelievable facts and, at times, got a taste of our own fear.

 

The creatures ranged from creepy

This is the world's largest tarantula, as a baby!
When full grown, it will be the size of a dinner plate!

to slithery,

Is this the deadly coral snake or the harmless milk snake?
Say the rhyme to find out:
Red touches yellow, deadly fellow! Red touches black, friend of Jack!

from cuddly

This kinkajou loves to snuggle with his owner.

to prickly,

Also a baby, this Giant African Crested Porcupine will grow to be
6 feet long and have 30,000 quills.  Ouch!

and from odd

This 43 pound sloth moves at a speed of 0.07 miles per hour, but has sharp claws and fangs.  Its metabolism is so slow that it only needs to do its business once a week.  Good thing it eats mostly fruits and leaves!

to comfortable.

This Great Dane quickly won the hearts of students and teachers.

The presenter was delighted to see the enthusiasm that South Arbor already has for the strange and mysterious creatures of our planet.

And the students were excited to see those creatures up close in our own school.

Career Awareness Bonus (jobs related to this post): zoologist, dog trainer, FBI agent, Emergency Room doctor and nurse, screenwriter, author, animal shelter manager