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