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Return to Links of the Week Archive
ANIMALS
Have A Cow Dude
This is the website for a family dairy in Kentucky. The site has pictures of the cows and lots of information about cows and dairy farming. Best of all, you can get involved by "adopting" one of the cows and following her milk production history, calving, and other important events through the newsletter. Participants can ask the farmer questions, and learn what dairy farming is all about. This is a great site for students, with useful agricultural and family links. http://www.10acresbackyard.com/
Polar Bears Alive
This website has a simple but attractive design, is easy to use, and is full of well-written, entertaining articles about polar bears. You can get "The Bear Facts" or read stories about encounters with polar bears and enjoy the many photos that show them at their best. Along with detailed research information, the site sheds light on polar bear behavior and clears up some myths and misconceptions. The President's Report tells what is being done for the bears on the international scene. Polar bear enthusiasts can find out about joining eco-tours as an alternative to hunting the bears. http://www.polarbearsalive.org
The Puppy Place
This website is for volunteers who would like to raise a service dog for a person with a disability. Seeing Eye dogs and other service animals must be raised and socialized for 12 to 16 months until they are ready to be trained for their careers. This task is mostly done by volunteers who love animals and get satisfaction in helping people with disabilities lead normal lives. The site tells prospective puppy raisers what the job is about, and also has information for those who would like to be career Seeing Eye dog trainers. Look here for addresses of dog guide schools, where to get a Seeing Eye dog, animal rights groups, and information on the rights of disabled people.
http://www.angelfire.com/nc/thepuppyplace/
The Bear Den
You are walking in the forest, and suddenly you come face to face with a bear! What do you do? Well, there's no absolute answer, but you can find some suggestions here from experienced people at Glacier National Park, Parks Canada, and others, in The Bear Den Guide to Backcountry Wisdom. If you live in or plan to visit bear country, or if you are just interested in these fascinating creatures, this website is a good place to visit. Here you can find in-depth information about the evolution of bears and each of the eight bear species, including range, habitat, diet, life cycle, and natural enemies. Read the latest bear news, browse reviews of bear-related books, videos, multimedia, and outdoor gear; visit the photo gallery; and hear a sound clip of a bear's growl. To explore further, try the links to wildlife, conservancy, and backcountry websites. If you long to see bears in the wild, look here for eco-responsible bear adventures. There are quotes about bears from Native Americans, John Muir, and others. A companion site, The Cub Den, introduces bears to young readers and has irresistibly cute pictures of cubs. Sadly, more bears are dying each year than are being born; some species are in danger of extinction. This web site is dedicated to saving the bears, and supporting the successful cohabitation of bears and humans upon the earth.
Animals, Myths and Legends
Myths and legends tell us about the relationship between animals and the world's indigenous peoples, the first explanations of how the world began, how people came to be, and other mysteries. The ancient wisdom in myths and legends can help modern people live in harmony with nature. Using cartoon characters as guides, this website explores animal myths and legends from around the world. Kids can read the Australian story of How Kangaroo Got His Tail; the Native American Huron story of Big Turtle; the English tale of Spider, Hare and the Moon; the Korean story of The Ungrateful Tiger; and many more. The site is the first stage in the development of an interactive game on CD-ROM. Children are encouraged to contribute to the website by sending in legends from their cultures, or made-up stories of their own.
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~oban
The Fledgling Corner
Fledglings are non-adult birds who have left the nest but are still dependent on the parents for food and other necessities. The Fledgling Corner is a kids' area all about birds, which is full of wonderful games, learning, and activities for kids of all ages. There is a section on prehistoric birds and bird ancestors, with pictures of fossils and dinosaurs. A Things To Make section includes bird feeders, origami, and other craft projects with birds as the theme. Kids will learn how to make the right kind of house or feeder for each bird, and stock it with the favorite food of the bird they want to attract. They will also learn how to identify birds by size and shape, behavior, bird sounds, and eight visual categories. Kids will learn more about their natural environment here by playing a game that teaches them about the food chain, and studying ways to help save migratory birds. There are links to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sites and other websites of bird lovers and bird experts. There are also jokes, comics, and riddles just for fun. A parents' and teachers' section contains lesson plans and recommendations for books, CDs, and videos.
http://birding.miningco.com/msubkids.htm
Zoo in the Wild
Welcome to a zoo without bars! Zoo in the Wild is a virtual zoo that has photographs of animals in their natural environments, allowing us to learn about them without putting them in cages. For each animal there is a photo; common and scientific names; a description of the animal's habitat, distribution, and behavior; and the animal's sound. For the children, there are illustrated animal stories, with a contest called "How Does the Story End?" Zoo in the Wild has links to other zoological web resources and lists national parks and game reserves around the world. This web page is in both English and Italian.
Francis's DogHouse
Francis the dog invites all of the kids to come play with him, and their parents too! Francis tells people how to rollerblade with their dogs, and many other useful things. Besides being a highly intelligent animal, Francis loves music, and gives CD reviews in his own canine fashion. He also helps homeless doggies find people to love them through Adopt a Dog Today, where you can actually search through pictures of dogs in shelters to find the perfect pet for your family. Kids will enjoy the cute pictures and animations, and parents will chuckle at the many quotes from famous people about dogs. There are useful links here to dog-related sites, lost pets, animal rescue, veterinary information, pet care, and unusual pet items.
Fish Link Central
This comprehensive collection of fish web sites provides a great starting point for the aquarium hobbyist. Find USA fish clubs, international clubs, personal homepages of fish lovers, and public aquariums. For newcomers to the hobby, Fish Club Central provides basic information on equipment selection and function, water chemistry, fish selection and aquarium maintenance. In addition, there are links to sites on aquaculture; catfish and other bottom dwellers; cichlids; killifish; tropical marine fishkeeping; underwater plants; ponds and koi; and reef aquariums. There are also links to vendors who cater to the aquarium hobby.
http://www.mindspring.com/~mbarnett/fishlink.htm
Cichlid Research Home Page
Cichlids (which include angelfish, discus, and many other species) are a hobby of many people around the world. This website is dedicated to scientific information about the fish family Cichlidae, featured in a recent National Geographic story called "Jewel of the Rift." Cichlid lovers can make contact here with others who share their interest and find clubs, shows and publications relating to cichlids. There are articles on cichlid phylogeny, pictures of cichlids, tips and techniques, observations and ideas, plus the online science experiment known as the Cichlid Egg Project. Other research projects you can read about here are the Jurupari Project, Embryo Project, and project on Malawi Cichlid Evolution. There is an article about cichlid research called Notes from the Rain Forest; also a fish name server, discussion of experimental fish classification, and links to other fish resources.
http://cichlidresearch.com/
Cat Fanciers Web Site
This comprehensive site concentrates on domestic cats, including articles and links on breeds, shows, cat care, animal welfare, veterinary medicine, and a directory of over 350 cat breeders, brought to you by a group of cat breeders, exhibitors, show judges, veterinarians, and other cat lovers throughout the world. There is general information about cats and cat care, cat breeds, shows, clubs, and registries. Read about breed rescue, feline welfare, animal welfare, rescue, and shelter organizations, Save-a-Pet Online, population and legislative issues, feral cats and trap/alter/release, and newsgroups. Find out about the latest veterinary medicine documents and resources, basic health care, emergency first aid, veterinary dentistry, reproduction and young, genetics, and birth control.
http://www.fanciers.com
The Froggy Page
This page contains links to everything conceivable about frogs. Explore frog images in naturalist photos, silly frog pictures, animations, ASCII froggies, cartoons, and clip art. There are frog tales on the internet from cultures all over the world, from Aesop's fables to Native American myths to modern stories like The Wind in the Willows and "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Meet famous frogs like Kermit, Rupert the frog prince, and Fermaldahyde th' Frog. Enjoy froggy sounds ranging from ribbets to greedeeps, or get the words and music to songs like Froggy Went a Courtin' or the more obscure Battle Hymn of the Ranapublic. In the scientific section you can find links to a wide variety of herpetological resources, and learn about such things as frog taxonomy, anatomy, embryology, and dissections. You can consult the FAFQs (Frequently Asked Frog Questions) and learn about ecological issues in declining amphibian populations. (The world's frogs are dying off, and no one knows why.) Also here find frog origami, books, jokes, and magazines, commercial froggy links, and froggy games. A little known fact is that there are several frogs who have home pages on the Net, and yes, you can find them here, too.
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