Cute Animals You Might Not Know About
Sand Cat
Photo Source: L.A. Times
Nope- that's not a house cat! Sand cats are a small, solitary cat native to deserts in Africa and Asia. Adapted to life in the desert, they can live without water, run on shifting sand and detect prey underground. Find out more about sand cats HERE
Ermine
Photo Source: National Park Service
The Ermine is a short-tailed weasel that has a brown fur in the summer and a white fur in the winter months. Learn more about Ermines HERE
Japanese Dwarf Flying Squirrel
Photo Credit: Tokyo Desu
Native and endemic to japan, this rodent inhabits Honshu and Kyushu Islands of the country. The preferred habitat of the Japanese flying squirrel is boreal evergreen forest. Learn more about the Japanese Dwarf Flying Squirrel HERE
Pygmy Marmoset
Photo Credit: Business Insider
This is the smallest monkey there ever was. Even as a grown animal, these guys only get to be about 100 grams. Learn more about the Pygmy Marmoset HERE
Pangolin
Photo Credit: Wild Planet Photo Magazine
They are the only mammals wholly-covered in scales and they use those scales to protect themselves from predators in the wild. Highly prized for their meat and scales, they're also the most trafficked animals in Africa and Asia. Learn more about pangolins HERE
Pudú
Photo Credit: Zooborns.com
Pudus are the world's smallest deer and stand about 13-17" tall when fully grown. Learn more about them HERE
Margay
Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Margays are the only cats who can turn their hind legs 180° and run down trees much like a squirrel would. Learn more about the Margay HERE
The Science Behind Looking At Cute Animals
It's totally true! Looking at cute animals has been scientifically proven to aid with lifting your mood. Look at these articles found in GALILEO to learn more!
- Got the blues? Maybe This Flamingo Video Can Help. The article discusses research conducted by BBC Worldwide in conjunction with the University of California--Berkeley on a nature documentary that is believed to lead to increases in positive emotions. Topics tackled in the study, titled "The True Happiness Project," are the changes in the mood and outlook of people from various countries before and after watching video clips of natural history, and connection of a person's health and well-being to nature and its power to reduce stress.
- Cute Animal Videos Can Be Good For You. From Opposing Viewpoints
- The Science of Cute The article focuses on the response of humans whenever they see adorable and cute animals. It highlights the compilation of Austrian zoologist Konrad Lorenz of the different cuteness traits in animal that make the people feel affection and automatically respond to the features. The animals include an arctic fox, koala, and tiger.
Cute Animals on Films on Demand
Films on Demand has lots of nature documentaries for your viewing pleasure! Try one of these videos below!
- Keepers of the Koalas They may be the cutest animals on the planet, but koalas are also endangered, with populations declining due to habitat destruction, disease, predators, and hazardous encounters with humans. This video puts a spotlight on the Australian Koala Foundation, which is working to redirect koalas away from the path to extinction. Viewers learn about the foundation’s goal of protecting the vulnerable marsupials with designated land preserves and with an intensive public education campaign—which shows clear signs of success
- Big Cats: Episode 1 This documentary follows cat species from around the world, from the lions of Tanzania—the only cat species to live in groups - to the tiny rusty spotted cat of Sri Lanka, 200 times smaller than a lion but just as curious. The film also peeks into the secret lives of the Canada lynx, which lives further north than any cat, and follows an African leopard mother, which for a decade has worn a radio collar allowing scientists to follow every twist and turn of her existence.
- Big Cats: Episode 2 Advances in remote and low-light filming technology provide new insight into the secret life of the mysterious small cats. In South Africa, we follow the nocturnal pursuits of the tiny black-footed cat that stakes its claim to the title of the world's deadliest, and in remotest Mongolia we reveal the rarely seen Pallas's cat, at home with her kittens—she hunts by looking like a rock. Finally, in the Karoo of South Africa, we uncover the secret of the serval that thrives amongst the futuristic landscape of Africa's biggest industrial complex. These are remarkable cats, with surprising lives in extraordinary places.
- The Secret Lives of Dogs With nearly a billion estimated worldwide, it is surprising that only recently have we really begun to understand the lives of our beloved dogs, with scientists just starting to uncover their emotional and intellectual genius. Through their extraordinary powers to read our emotions, take our perspective, and exceed our physical ability, our closest companions have been able to join us in all walks of life—truly earning the name man's best friend.
- Prison Dogs Incarcerated for murder and armed robbery, hardened New York criminals learn to love again by raising puppies behind bars. In this inspirational tale, three selected prisoners battle self-doubt, anger and regret in their attempt to transform dependent pups into service dogs for injured US veterans. Bound together by fate, this uniquely vulnerable trio of puppy, prisoner and veteran come to discover the redemptive power of second chances.
- Giant Panda Giant pandas are elusive and restricted to six mountain ranges. As a result of their low energy diet, they give birth to the smallest mammal babies; breeding in captivity is difficult. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. and Kermit Roosevelt were the first westerners to shoot a panda. A BBC Production.
- Big Cats About The House Big cat expert Giles Clark hopes to turn The Big Cat Sanctuary in Kent into a center of global excellence for big cat conservation. He adopts Maya, a jaguar cub, and hand raises her at home. A trip to Cambodia fuels his determination to protect wild cats
- Jungle Animal Hospital At the jungle animal hospital in Guatemala, the wards are full of exotic patients, many of them orphans rescued from the illegal pet trade. It is the job of a dedicated team of vets to nurse them back to health. We follow the team in their busiest year yet as they patch up animals in need, select a troop of spider monkeys for release and prepare a flock of very precious scarlet macaws for freedom. A BBC Production.
- Penguins - Spy in the Huddle: Growing Up As the young grow bigger and preen out baby fluff they sport punk hairdos. From egg to adolescent, spycams have been with the young penguins through their tough early months. They are with them as they leave. It will be years before they follow in their parents' footsteps and return to breed. A BBC Production.
- Lily- A Bear's Life Lily is an eight year old wild black bear living in the North Woods of Minnesota in USA. Followed from birth by researchers, her life has been captured on film and shared online around the world. But her fame has come at a price. She has become the focus of a passionate debate, and while she has many thousands of fans, some people want her dead. This film tells the story of her life and how and why she has become a bear with a bounty. A BBC Production.
Live Cute Animal Cams
This live cam overlooks a special private room at Kitten Rescue Sanctuary in Los Angeles, California. This room is home to playful kittens awaiting their new homes. Watch all their antics, from afternoon cat-naps to spirited wrestling and more.
Guide Dogs of America Nursery Cam
Welcome to the pups of Guide Dogs of America! These german shepard pups were born on March 6th. There are five girls and one boy.
The pups are in training to become guide dogs for people who are visually impaired. Their first eight weeks are so crucial in their training. From the day they are born they entered into an early socialization program that will introduce them to different sights, sounds, and feels in the world. The hope is that when they grow up they will help someone who is blind live with more confidence, independence, and mobility.Don't see puppies? Don't worry, the puppies are just live on another camera. Because puppies have such fragile immune systems, we swap them between kennel runs every day to allow for a 24-hour disinfection to take place. For this reason we have two camera's installed, the "Nursery cam," and the "Mobility Cam."
Located 21 miles off the coast of Maine on Seal Island, this live puffin cam gives an intimate glimpse inside a puffin burrow, where puffins nest and breed during the spring and summer months. The video stream is occasionally affected by factors such as changes in tide, reflection off the sea surface and dense fog. If the stream is interrupted, stay tuned--the signal will be restored quickly!
Welcome to the Ouwehand Zoo's tundra exhibit in Rehen, Netherlands, where two polar bear cubs play under the watchful eye of their mother, Freedom, and grandmother, Huggies. The cubs, named Akiak (Inuit for "brave") and Sura (Inuit for "new life") were born in November 2014.
From the Vancouver Aquarium. You can watch what the sea otters are up to, as they eat, swim and play. You may even catch them holding hands!