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5 wild animals to learn to love

David Mizajewski, a naturalist from the National Wildlife Federation and a host on Nat Geo Wild, shared five wild animals that you can learn to love!

They say if you learn to love something you'll want to protect it and that's the mission behind the National Wildlife Federation.

David Mizajewski, a naturalist from the National Wildlife Federation and a host on Nat Geo Wild, shared five wild animals that you can learn to love!

Gray Fox

· Small fox that lives in DC area

· Has gray fur but sometimes also has a lot of red fur

· You can tell it apart from a red fox because gray foxes have black tipped tails, while red foxes have white tipped tails

· Feeds on rodents, insects and fruits

· Only member of wild dog family that can climb trees

Three Banded Armadillo

· Native to Brazil

· Feeds on termites and other insects by using it’s claws to dig into mounds

· One of two armadillo species that can roll into a tight ball (the rest cannot)

· Once thought to be extinct, population was found in 1990s

· Vulnerable to extinction: over hunting and habitat loss from cattle industry

Barred Owl

· Large owl species native to DC area

· Often active as dusk, so that’s when you’re most likely to see one

· Call sounds like “WHO-COOKS-FOR-YOU”

· Mating calls starting late winter

· Will use a nesting box

Brush-Tailed Bettong

· Small marsupial native to Australia

· Called “Rat Kangaroo” because it looks like a tiny kangaroo

· Has prehensile tail which it uses to collect nesting material

· It almost never drinks! The brush-tailed bettong gets all its water from food which is mostly underground fungus

· It is critically endangered in the wild –outdoor domestic cats are a major threat

Tegu

· Large South American lizard

· Omnivores, feeding on insects, fruit, eggs and small animals

· Common exotic pet because they are intelligent and affectionate

· Not for novice exotic pet owners due to mature size (4 feet) and powerful bite

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