Wild and Kind Kids Podcast

The Mexican Wolf

Far out in the mountains and forests of the American Southwest lives one of the rarest wolves on Earth: the Mexican wolf. More specifically, this is the home of Luna, a young Mexican wolf who loves being part of a pack even if she secretly longs for some new blood.  One night, Luna hears a howl echoing through a canyon and becomes convinced she’s discovered another wolf pack. But as Luna continues exploring the mysterious canyon, she discovers something surprising about echoes, loneliness, and hope. Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they explore the wild world of the Mexican wolf, also known as el lobo. Kids will discover: * How wolves use howls to communicate across long distances * What Mexican wolf packs are like  * How wolves are built to hunt  * Why Mexican wolves nearly disappeared from the wild Keep exploring: * Download a Mexican wolf coloring sheet  [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xjqujf3e00iws5ezz9x8b/Mexican-Wolf-Coloring-Sheet.pdf?rlkey=uzwax3pgwgvj18bbaqlb83mmm&dl=0] * Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod [https://www.instagram.com/wildandkindkidspod] * Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com * Sign up for email updates [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7z_6c0XKCeoqBPAFSlZIcE7Aplvdjwn0_b8gFDvsVTG6qHQ/viewform] Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted: * Mexican Gray Wolf [https://www.wildlifesciencecenter.org/mexican-gray-wolf] (Wildlife Science Center)  * Mexican Wolf [https://cincinnatizoo.org/animals-archive/mexican-wolf/](Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens)  * Conserving the Mexican Wolf [https://www.fws.gov/program/conserving-mexican-wolf] (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service)  * Mexican Wolf [https://www.columbuszoo.org/animals/mexican-wolf] (Columbus Zoo & Aquarium)

The Axolotl

Deep beneath the canals of Xochimilco in Mexico lives one of the strangest (and cutest) creatures on Earth: the axolotl. Meet Ralph, an axolotl who is VERY tired of looking like a baby. While the other animals zoom around the canals having fun, Ralph is determined to become a serious grown-up. He grows a moss mustache. Carries an important-looking briefcase. Attends “business meetings.” And even tries disgusting grown-up food. There’s just one problem: being a grown-up is exhausting. Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the weird and wonderful world of the axolotl: the smiling salamander who never grows up.  Kids will discover: * How axolotls can regrow legs, tails, and even parts of their hearts * Why scientists study axolotls to learn about healing and regeneration * How axolotls slurp up food like underwater vacuum cleaners * Why wild axolotls are critically endangered in Mexico Keep exploring: * Download an axolotl coloring sheet  [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0zezdp07e1oecio7wqi9q/Axolotl-Coloring-Sheet.pdf?rlkey=gcy55nl7l28fn2oszlzgmv07x&dl=0] * Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod [https://www.instagram.com/wildandkindkidspod] * Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com * Sign up for email updates [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7z_6c0XKCeoqBPAFSlZIcE7Aplvdjwn0_b8gFDvsVTG6qHQ/viewform] Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted: * Axolotl [https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/facts/axolotl] (National Geographic Kids)  * 10 Absolutely Amazing Axolotl Facts [https://wwf.ca/stories/a-salamander-with-superpowers-10-absolutely-amazing-axolotl-facts/](WWF)  * Adopt an Axolotl Virtually [https://www.ib.unam.mx/ib/adopta-axolotl/]  * New axolotl study gives researchers a leg up in work towards limb regeneration [https://www.nsf.gov/news/new-axolotl-study-gives-researchers-leg-work-towards-limb] (U.S. National Science Foundation)  * Axolotls can regrow limbs. Could they one day help us do the same? [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/health/article/axolotl-regrow-limbs-retinoic-acid-human-medicine] (National Geographic)

The Shortfin Mako Shark

Far out in the shimmering ocean lives Rosa, a young shortfin mako shark from the Marvelous Makos, a family famous for one incredible thing: flying. Not with wings, of course. With leaps. Rosa’s family can burst from the water like silver rockets, twisting high above the waves before crashing back into the sea with giant splashes. There’s just one problem. Rosa can’t do it. No matter how hard she tries, she belly flops, skims the surface, or sinks back into the ocean while the other makos soar overhead. And when her mother tells her the secret is remembering two magic words, Rosa is determined to figure them out. Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the speedy, surprising world of the shortfin mako shark, the fastest shark in the ocean. Kids will discover: * How mako sharks zoom through the ocean at over 45 miles per hour * Why some sharks have to keep swimming to stay alive * How sharks grow endless rows of replacement teeth * Why mako sharks sometimes launch completely out of the water Keep exploring: * Download a shortfin mako shark coloring sheet  [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/scy99d705i1cceg9brvn7/Shortfin-Mako-Shark-Coloring-Sheet.pdf?rlkey=um884xsmze3xmt041pbqtwl35&dl=0] * Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod [https://www.instagram.com/wildandkindkidspod] * Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com * Sign up for email updates [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7z_6c0XKCeoqBPAFSlZIcE7Aplvdjwn0_b8gFDvsVTG6qHQ/viewform] Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted: * The Shortfin Mako Shark [https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/sharks-rays/shortfin-mako-shark] (Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History)  * Sharks4Kids [https://www.sharks4kids.com/] (Ways to Learn About and Help Sharks)  * Do Sharks Drown if They Stop Swimming? [https://www.aquarium.co.za/news/do-sharks-drown-if-they-stop-swimming] (Two Oceans Aquarium)  * Spilling the Secret to a Mako Shark’s Speed [https://www.forbes.com/sites/melissacristinamarquez/2019/03/04/spilling-the-secret-to-a-mako-sharks-speed/] (Forbes)

The Pangolin

Deep in a warm, moonlit rainforest in Africa lives Penny the pangolin, a quiet, scaly explorer with a secret she’s not so sure about. Her tongue is … long.  Like, really long. Longer than her head. Longer than her legs. Maybe even the longest in the whole forest. But there’s just one problem: she has no idea what it’s for. As night falls and the forest comes alive, Penny watches other animals use their amazing abilities to swing, fly, and find food. Meanwhile, her tongue just … hangs there. That is, until a curious bushbaby shows up with a big idea: what if they run a few tests to figure it out?  Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they explore the strange, surprising, and super-powered world of one of Earth’s most unique animals: the pangolin. Kids will discover: * How pangolins use their long, sticky tongues to eat insects * Why scales are a pretty smart adaptation for a mammal  * Why pangolins are called the “guardians of the forest” Keep exploring: * Download a pangolin coloring sheet  [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/baum0okfqbcscgiq4vwox/Pangolin-Coloring-Sheet.pdf?rlkey=fz74udb3emomiqbswt2h5vbql&dl=0] * Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod [https://www.instagram.com/wildandkindkidspod] * Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com * Sign up for email updates [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7z_6c0XKCeoqBPAFSlZIcE7Aplvdjwn0_b8gFDvsVTG6qHQ/viewform] Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted: * Pangolin facts and photos [https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/pangolin] (National Geographic)     * [VIDEO] Pangolin: World’s Weirdest [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz4HXyxcess] (Nat Geo Wild)  * 5 playful pangolin facts [https://www.ecokidsplanet.co.uk/blogs/news/5-playful-pangolin-facts?srsltid=AfmBOoqZ7sbt9ZLjPvnNPFBOCK4i3lc7-pwwo6I_J9raGFkB3Qcn7S8A] (Eco Kids Planet)  * The Pangolin Crisis Fund [https://www.savepangolins.org/pangolin-crisis-fund]

The Whale Shark

In the warm, shimmering waters of Thailand swims Atlas the whale shark, a gentle giant who likes things just the way they are: quiet, calm, and solitary.  With a body the size of a school bus, a mouth wide enough to scoop up clouds of tiny food, and a slow, steady way of moving through the sea, Atlas spends his days drifting and thinking big thoughts. But everything changes when a tiny, cheerful hitchhiker named Renea shows up … and refuses to leave. At first, Atlas just wants his space back. But as he tries (and fails!) to shake his new companion, he begins to discover something surprising: sometimes the friend you didn’t ask for might be exactly the one you need. Join Carie, Lincoln, and Eliza as they dive into the calm, curious, and captivating world of the ocean’s largest fish: the whale shark. Kids will discover: * How whale sharks eat using filter feeding (even with giant mouths!) * Why these slow swimmers travel thousands of miles across the ocean * What makes each whale shark’s spot pattern unique * How animals can help each other through special relationships in nature Keep exploring: * Download a whale shark coloring sheet  [https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/j0ft32cd3zlct14r5f3a9/1.21-Whale-Shark-Coloring-Sheet.pdf?rlkey=efoh1rcyhagoo3sfobxrx2qh7&dl=0] * Follow us on Instagram @wildandkindkidspod [https://www.instagram.com/wildandkindkidspod] * Show us your coloring sheet or request an animal: wildandkindkidspod@gmail.com * Sign up for email updates [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7z_6c0XKCeoqBPAFSlZIcE7Aplvdjwn0_b8gFDvsVTG6qHQ/viewform] Learn along with us and explore some of the resources we consulted: * Secrets of Whale Shark Migration Revealed [https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/130821-whale-shark-satellite-tracking-migration-gulf-mexico-science] (National Geographic)  * Whale Sharks Have Tiny Teeth on Their Eyeballs [https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/whale-sharks-have-tiny-teeth-their-eyeballs-180975240/] (Smithsonian Magazine)  * The Whale Shark [https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/whale-sharks] (National Geographic Kids)  * 5 Interesting Facts About Whale Sharks [https://www.wwf.org.uk/learn/fascinating-facts/whale-sharks] (The World Wildlife Foundation)