Author Archives: Bailey

When you look at fern you are looking at a piece of our Earth’s history.  Ferns are an ancient species that have been around for 360 million years.  They were eaten by dinosaurs and are still useful to us today.  Coal, crude oil, and natural gases are all largely made up of ancient ferns thatContinue reading “Ferns-Ancient Plants”

Definition of nature conservation by Google: preservation, protection, or restoration of the natural environment and of wildlife. Beginnings Conservation in the United States began back in the 19th century. This was when people started to see a need to protect the natural world. After an expedition into northern Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park was created, makingContinue reading “Conservation”

Biodiversity When people things of Iowa they tend to think about corn, pigs, and cows. They do not normally think about the diversity that is in the state. Today researcher put the number of wildlife species at over 1,000. That does not even include the large number of plant species that also call the stateContinue reading “Iowa Biodiversity and Endangered Species”

Google’s definition of extinct: of a species, family, or other large group having no living members In the earth’s history many species have gone extinct. The dinosaurs, dodo birds, woolly mammoths, and saber toothed tigers are all ones that come to mind when the word extinct is thrown around, but rates of extinction have goneContinue reading “Extinct Species”

Dicerorhinus sumatrensis Facts Height: 3.3-5 feet Length: 6.5-13 feet Weight: 1,300-2,000 pounds Number: 80 in the wild Herbivores Horns are made of keratin, calcium, and melanin (These things also make human nails and hair) Hang out with birds who eat parasites off their skin. Threats In the wild rhinos are hunting illegally for their horns.Continue reading “Sumatran Rhino”

Bornean Sumatran Facts Weight: 66-198 pounds Height: 4-5 feet Lifespan: 50+ years Habitats Tropical/subtropical, moist broad-leaf forests Meaning of name: person of the forest Differences Location is a major difference between the two species of orangutans as well as where they spend their times. Another difference is that Sumatran orangutans have longer facial hair andContinue reading “Orangutans”

Rhincodon typus Facts Weight: 11 tons Length: 18-32.8 feet Habitat: Warmer areas of the ocean Food: plankton Dots on their back are as unique as finger prints Largest predatory fish/shark The Unknown Giants of the Deep A lot is not known about these gentle giants. We do not know where they mate or have theirContinue reading “Whale Sharks”

Chimpanzees Pan troglodytes Facts Height: 39-54 inches Weight: 71-130 pounds Life span: 50+ years Habitat: Congo Basin, Africa Very social Spend their days in the trees Mostly walk on all fours Can walk up right for a short time Can use tools Endangered Bonobos Pan paniscus Facts Height: 28-35 inches Weight: 68-86 pounds Life Span:Continue reading “Our closest living relatives”

Several species of sea turtles are endangered all over the world. In this post we will look at three that are classified as vulnerable on the ICU Red List but it is worth mentioning that the green sea turtle is listed as endangered and the hawks bill turtle is critically endangered. Leather Back 600-1500 poundsContinue reading “Sea Turtles”

Here are several different resources for more animal facts, organizations at the University of Iowa, and information on endangered species in Iowa. University of Iowa Museum of Natural History: https://mnh.uiowa.edu/ Overall animal facts and information: World Wildlife Foundation: https://www.worldwildlife.org/ National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ University of Iowa Student Organizations: All can be found on Engage UiBio StudentContinue reading “Resources”