The Groundhog is the only mammal to have a day named for him. Groundhog Day falls on February 2nd, each year. The Pennsylvania Dutch introduced the tradition to the U.S. in the 18th century. Originally, these early German immigrants had celebrated Candlemas in Germany with the badger, but transferred the honor to the Groundhog. Candlemas […]
On November 3, 1957, Russia launched Sputnik 2 sending the first animal to space, orbiting the Earth. Laika (Barker in English) was a female mixed breed stray dog. Sadly, it is believed that due to heat and stress, she died a few hours after takeoff. But hers and other dogs flights paved the way for […]
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa. Surprisingly, the islands were not named for the bird, but rather for the wild canines which lived on it. Wildlife on the islands includes lizards, geckos, many European and African bird species and five species of marine turtles. The […]
