and she has a large brood! From fuzzy furballs to itsy bitsy and
creepy crawly, young wildlife come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
Join Charlotte Nature Museum for the May Creature Feature event,
Nature's Babies,Saturday, May 19, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Spring means lots of new animal babies and we're wild about meeting
some of the season's recent arrivals. Did you know that young
Madagascar hissing cockroaches are called nymphs, and that a baby fish
can be called a fingerling?
There will be opportunities to visit with some of nature's fledgling residents, from hatchling box turtles
[Terrapene ornata], mice 'pups' [Mus musculus] and Sebright chicks, to
mealworms, butterfly chrysalis, moth cocoons and more. Make sure to
flash a toothy grin at Snappy, our resident juvenile American
alligator [Alligator mississippiensis]. While celebrating newborns,
fawn over other animal-related information such as the differences
between wild and domesticated animals and how to care for pets and
livestock.
How do baby animals survive and thrive? It can be a jungle out there,
but just like humans, wild animal parents often protect, care for, and
teach their offspring skills they need to live in their environments.
Did you know that tiny baby seahorses, or 'fry', stay close to their
protective fathers by clinging to plants with their strong tails?
Little ones can explore their innate kinship with baby animal friends
and discover more about their development and how they learn to fend
for themselves. Museum Naturalists and exhibitors from Steritech and
Animal Rehabilitators of the Carolinas will present information about
understanding and identifying wildlife species, what to do if you
encounter a baby animal in the wild, and how to help protect habitats
and ecosystems.
It's not quite naptime, little ones – first, crawl into the Naturalist
Lab to make pinecone baby owlets. Curious ears will perk up for the
Puppet Show "Growing Up Wild" and special Story Time including "Baby
Animals on the Farm" by Liza Alexander, "Flip, Flap, Fly!" by Phyllis
Root, and "Baby Otter" by Ginger L. Clarke. Trails End Store will
feature items for sale including turtle-in-egg and frog-in-egg plush
animals and mammal and snake books.
Creature Features, supported by The Guild of Discovery Place, Inc.,
are monthly special events and include crafts, Puppet Shows and
storytelling. Creature Feature activities are free with Museum
admission. Admission: $6 ages two and older, younger-than-two and
Members are free. Parking is free.
Charlotte Nature Museum is located at 1658 Sterling Road, Charlotte.
Hours are: Tuesday-Friday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. –
5:00 p.m.; Sunday noon – 5:00 p.m.; and closed on Monday.
