Emma's Earth Explorations

  Following the  Polar Bear is none other than the Arctic Wolf, a fierce and majestic member of the Canidae  family.   The Arctic Wolf : Canis lupus arctos Characteristics : A medium-sized (around 3-6 feet in length) wolf characterized by its white fur Habitat : Arctic Wolves live in the Arctic regions of North America and Greenland as well as the Arctic Diet : Carnivores; Arctic Wolves prefer large prey such as Musk Oxen and Caribou. However, they will also prey on smaller mammals like lemmings, birds, and hares Conservation : Least Concern I love wolves. They embody all the adjectives I wanted to be growing up—fierce, vicious, beautiful, loyal, and  fast . I think I got at least three out of the five—mainly due to my competitiveness in playing tag every day for four years in elementary school—but only BuzzFeed has confirmed that the wolf could actually be my spirit animal.  Like the oceans, there's a mystery and magic to wolves. Magic, because they seem s...

The word Arctic is derived by the Greek word meaning 'bear'. This is how you can remember that Polar Bears are found in the Arctic and not that other icy region on the other side of the Earth.  The Polar Bear :  Ursus maritimus Description :  The Polar Bear is the largest surviving species of bear in the world. Males typically grow to around 1500 pounds at adulthood and females typically reach 500 pounds. Polar Bears are distinguishable from other bears because of the bright white appearance of their fur. However, Polar Bears also differ from other bear species because of their longer skulls and noses and smaller ears and tails. These elongated features make the Polar Bear a powerful swimmer. A Polar Bear also has smaller, stockier claws that are better disposed to grip ice and large prey.  Habitat :  Polar Bears live in the coastlines and sea ice of the Arctic. The Arctic ice is the ideal place for Polar Bears to hunt for seals. They typically spend 5-6 mo...

  When I look up 'Ermine', the first results that pop up are ermine furs and coats. This is giving me flashbacks of my Amazon post The Ermine :  Mustela erminea Description :  Also known as a Stoat, the Ermine is a kind of weasel and is part of the  Mustelidae family . Measuring around 7-12 inches long, the Ermine's physical characteristics include a long tail, dark eyes, a small triangular nose, an elongated neck, and round ears. In the warmer months of summer, the Ermine is brown with a white belly. In the winter, the Ermine blends into its new surroundings by utilizing a white fur coat. In all seasons, the Ermine's tail is tipped with black. Habitat :  Ermines live in many different areas, but all of them generally have cold climates. Ermines live in habitats ranging from mountains to moors to woodlands. Many of these areas have crevices and nooks where the Ermines can establish dens. Ermine distribution is as varied as their habitats; the...

  Presenting the Snowy Owl. AKA my childhood favorite owl. AKA the subject of my first science presentation. AKA HEDWIG The Snowy Owl : Bubo scandiacus Description : Being one of the most well-known owls on the planet, the Snowy Owl 's distinct white feathers patterned with black and brown make it stand out even in the snow-covered tundra. Males tend to have whiter overall while females have more pattering on their feathers. All Snowy Owls have especially thick feathers to protect them against the below freezing temperatures of the Arctic. With a wingspan of five feet and weight of 4 pounds, this adaptation also makes the Snowy Owl one of the largest and heaviest owls in the world.  Habitat : Preferring habitats with elevation, such as outcrops and knolls, Snowy Owls are mostly found in open tundra and coastal habitats. In contrast, their habitats also often include flat and even areas where Snowy Owl parents will set up breeding sites for their young. In many cases, a tidal f...

  At first glance, Arctic Foxes are fluffy and adorable. But under all that fur is a elegant and fierce predator that braves the Arctic's temperatures of -50  ° F  to 50  ° F every day The Arctic Fox : Vulpes lagopus Description : Native to the Arctic regions, the Arctic Fox is a thick-coated mammal around 30-40 inches long; the size of a dog. Distinguishable by its white fluffy coat, this animal is either white/blue (depending on the morph) in the winter and turns into varying shades of brown in the summer. The Arctic Fox is also characterized by its upturned snout, triangular ears, flattened skull, and long tail which reaches about a foot in length.  Habitat : Equipped with thick fur to keep them warm, Arctic Foxes are found in the Arctic tundra and pack ice where the ground is permanently frozen with little vegetation available. They can also be found along the edges of forests in Northern parts of Europe, Canada, and Alaska.  Diet : Arctic Foxes ar...

  Don't get too excited, this "something new" isn't anything ground-breaking.  I generally don't like creating posts unrelated to an ecosystem or species, but once in a while, a non-wildlife related post is a nice break in between information dense articles and fact sheets. And I'm not going to lie, these kinds of posts are easy points to add to my post total, a number that's been growing steadily over the last couple years.  In this Arctic Ocean series, I'm going to try a new kind of set-up. Midway through the Amazon Rainforest series, I introduced a new kind of post, Fast Facts! (named after my fave scioly event ever). I was able to highlight way more species with Fast Facts! (yes, say it with the exclamation point), and while I still plan on writing up these Fast Facts! posts, I want to shift my focus to more traditional articles again.  Contrary to the Amazon series where my goal was to cover as many species as possible, the Arctic Ocean series wil...

  'Arctic' means "of the north" and is derived from the Greek word "arktos" which means "bear" There's something magical about the Arctic Ocean. It's beautiful yet unassuming, crowning the top of the world with its 5.43 million sq miles of pure ice shattered and scattered across its blue like diamonds. Christened as the Land of the Midnight Sun, this kingdom never sees the sun set. And with all that light, it's not hard to believe that there's something fantastical waiting out there. And no, I'm not talking about that conspiracy theory claiming that the wealthiest people are hiding out in "second earth" under the guise of the Arctic.   The Arctic feels like a window to another realm, pure and untamed, ethereal and otherworldly. Perhaps this is because the Arctic is practically untouched by outsiders. People talk about the former glory places like the Great Barrier Reef and the Amazon Rainforest once had and how these...

  These underwater kingdoms reign supreme in our world As you can tell from my lovely wordy and writerly post title, the next stop on my tour of the earth is... The ocean!   Or more accurately, the  oceans.  There's more than one of course. We have the Pacific, Atlantic, Artic, and so on. And although they all flow together at some point and look pretty much the same from the top, these seas have vastly different ecosystems under their surfaces.  Each gigantic body of water that separates our rich land ecosystems with tens of thousands of miles is its own world. A world that is characterized by stunningly bizarre creatures and alien landscapes. The oceans are primordial, yet so unknown ; over 90% of these ancient waters are unexplored. But the 10% that we do know is populated by hundreds of thousands of species. It's incredible to me how vast these underwater kingdoms are. I think the sheer size of the oceans are part of what contributes to the oceans'...

  This post indicates our last post in this first stop of the world's ecosystems. Where will we go next?  17 posts and 2 1 species later, we've learned about some of the most unique flora and fauna that represent the Amazon Rainforest's crazy and vibrant world. This particular rainforest thrums with the pulse of millions of creatures and plants and flowers so intensely that it doesn't seem to be...mundane enough to be part of earth. Where I live, it's all skyscraper buildings rooted in concrete ground, so it's been interesting and a lot of fun to steal a glimpse of what life is like in the Amazon Rainforest.  This post wraps up the Amazon Rainforest series on my blog. I sincerely hope whoever's reading this has learned something new about this brilliant ecosystem.  https://www.galapagosspecialists.co.uk/amazon-rainforest/

Looking up at these trees is like at a pillar leading to the heavens.  Dinizea excelsa Characteristics : A tropical rainforest tree species that reaches beyond 200 feet in its lifetime of centuries Habitat : Native to Brazil and Guyana, this tree is rooted in rainforests not subject to constant inundation Diet : Photosynthesis; a process where tree leaves absorb sunlight with their vast canopy Conservation : Least Concern I included this post in the Amazon Rainforest series because of one fact:  Dinizea excelsa is the tallest tree in the Amazon Rainforest. This is a pretty self-explanatory fact, but I wanted to write a post on a tree. And this is a rather special tree. So here it goes.  In an earlier post, I noted that the Amazon Rainforest serves as a carbon sinkhole for our planet, taking in tons and tons of carbon dioxide from the choking atmosphere. A carbon sinkhole is a place that takes in more carbon dioxide than it emits, and after considering all the natural, unt...

  With its big eyes, long tail, and curious expression, this adorable Kinkajou reminds me of a tamer version of a monkey . It's a wonder they're not related. The Kinkajou : Potos flavus Description : Kinkajous are mammals that belong to the same family as coatis and raccoons. They have thick golden fur that keeps them dry, big eyes, short limbs, and a long tail; in a way, they resemble monkeys, although there is no relation between these two creatures. As an arboreal species, Kinkajous have sharp, clawed paws to help them navigate between different branches.  Habitat : Kinkajous can be found from Southern Mexico to the Southeast of the Amazon Rainforest. They live in the trees of closed-canopy rainforests, rarely setting foot on the forest floor.  Diet : Kinkajous are classified as frugivores. Fruit makes up more than 90% of the Kinkajou's diet, meaning that Kinkajous play a big role in fruit seed dispersal. They'll also eat nectar; pollen can often be seen on a Kinkajo...

 Although this blog's main focus is on the "unique species of the world" and the effects of human-caused problems on ecosystems and wildlife, there's something else I feel the need to address, and that is the effects of such problems on the mental health of teens like me. So, here it is, an essay on eco-anxiety by yours truly.  The Weight of the World on Gen Z’s Shoulders Since the time of elementary school, parents, teachers, presidents, and any of the other role models of a ten-year-old have emphasized the same message over and over again to my generation:  the future is in your hands . This message, meant to be one of inspiration and motivation, encouraged us to take charge of our lives. It stressed that we were the ones who could shape our destiny. We were the ones who could create the life of our dreams for ourselves. Nothing and no one else could determine our path. But in a world where environmental problems have worsened to a point where even the possibility o...