Bullfrog
The bullfrog is the largest frog in Nova Scotia.
Bullfrogs can breathe through their skin.
Bullfrogs lay their eggs in water.
Bullfrogs will eat anything they can fit into their mouth!
Bullfrogs have long, webbed toes to help them swim.
The circles behind their eyes are the bullfrog’s ears.
Bullfrogs can see with their eyes closed! They have see-through eyelids.
Bullfrogs have large eyes on the top of their head.
Bullfrogs have strong legs that make them good jumpers.
Eastern Painted Turtle
Eastern Painted turtles are the most common turtle found in Nova Scotia.
They have webbed feet, which makes them good swimmers.
Painted turtles have long claws that help them climb out of the water.
Painted turtles have a hard shell made out of bone.
Painted turtles hibernate under water during the winter.
Painted turtles don’t have any teeth. They use their sharp beak to chew their food.
Painted turtles like to eat plants and insects.
Painted turtles have bright colours on their shell and skin.
Maritime Garter Snake
Garter snakes are the largest snake found in Nova Scotia.
Garter snakes don’t have eyelids, so they never blink!
Garter snakes use their forked tongue to catch smells.
Garter snake skin is covered in scales.
Garter snakes shed their skin as they grow.
Garter snakes have hooked teeth that help them grab food.
Garter snakes like to eat worms, frogs, and salamanders.
Garter snakes do not have any venom, like some other snakes. They are not poisonous.
Garter snakes hibernate under rocks and logs during the winter.
Green Sea Urchin
Sea urchins are covered in spines for protection.
Sea urchinswalk usinghundreds of tube feet beneath them.
Sea urchins have a mouth with five teeth shaped like triangles.
Sea urchins love to eat seaweed, especially kelp.
Sea urchins live in the water, but can survive on land for a short time.
Sea urchins are a favourite food of sea otters.
Sea urchins have a skeleton that is called a ‘test’.
Sea urchins can use their sticky tube feet to climb rocks and walls.
Honeybees
Honeybees have four wings, six legs, and five eyes.
Honeybees can ‘talk’ to each other by doing a special dance.
Honeybees collect nectar from flowers to make honey. The honey is saved to eat in the winter.
Since they don’t have a nose, honeybeesuse their antennae to smell!
Bees flap their wings very fast. When bees ‘buzz’ they are flapping their wings.
Honeybees like to eat pollen from flowers. They are covered in small hairs that pollen sticks to.
Not all honeybees have a stinger. Only the females can sting!
Yellow Spotted Salamanders
Yellow-spotted salamanders are covered in yellow spots to warn animals that they are poisonous.
Salamanders are able to breathe through their skin.
Salamanders have to keep their skin wet to be healthy.
Yellow-spotted salamanders have four toes on the front feet and five toes on the back feet.
Yellow-spotted salamanders have a long tail that can drop off and then grow back.
Yellow-spotted salamanders like to eat insects.
Yellow-spotted salamanders will hibernate in underground burrows during the winter.
Beavers
Beavers have two different kinds of fur; Tough‘guard hairs’ on top andwarm, soft fur underneath.
Beavers have long orange teeth that are always growing!
Beavers have claws on their front feet and webbed back feet.
A beaver can stay under water for 15 minutes at a time.
The beaver has a large, flat tail. It can slap the water, with a loud clap, to warn other beavers of danger.
Beavers build dams out of mud and wood to create a pond to live in.
Beavers like to eat leaves, roots, bark, and water plants.
Beavers are the second largest rodents in the world!
Red Fox
Red foxes are small and light making them excellent jumpers.
Red foxeslike to hunt at night and have very good eyesight.
Red foxes have largeears on top of their head and have very good hearing.
Red foxes have wide nostrils at the end of their snout and have a very good sense of smell.
Red foxes have lots of small sharp teeth in their mouth.
Red foxes like to eat small animals, but will also eat plants!
Red foxes have a very long, fluffy tail that is used for balance and to keep warm.
Porcupine
Porcupines have sharp quills that protect them. The quills are made of tough ‘guard hairs’.
Porcupines have a warm, soft layer of fur underneath their quills.
Porcupines have short legs and are slow and clumsy walkers.
Porcupines have sharp claws and are very good climbers. They spend a lot of time in trees.
Porcupinesdon’t have very good eyesight, but they have a good sense of smell and hearing.
Porcupines have long, orange teeth at the front of their mouth.
Porcupines like to eat leaves, berries, and bark.
Grey Seal
Grey seals are large and have four flippers. They are slow on land, but very fast in water.
Grey seals have a thick layer of fat, called blubber, which keeps them warm in cold water.
Grey seals can hold their breath underwater for over one hour!
Grey seals have large sharp teeth and like to eat squid and fish.
Grey seals have claws on each of their flippers that help to walk on rocks.
Grey seals have hidden ears but still have very good hearing.
Grey seals spend most of their time in the ocean, but go on land to rest and raise their pups.