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 Critter Highlight - Hamsters (Rodentia Cricetinae)
Hamsters are rodents, a bit like a mouse, and have become established as popular small house pets. In the wild, hamsters stay underground during the day. They feed on seeds, fruits, and vegetation, and occasionally eat burrowing insects.
They have really short tails, and very large cheek pouches in which they carry food back to their homes.
Here are a few interesting facts about hamsters:
- Hamsters come from the desert. If you keep a hamster, make sure the room is never too cold and keep the cage away from windy places.
- Hamsters love to exercise. A tiny hamster's body is full of energy that they want to burn off on a spinning wheel that they have in their cage.
- Hamsters don't take baths in water. They have special oils in their furs and sometimes groom themselves by taking sand baths!
The little critters are available to check out for a 2-week period to help enhance teaching activities or to keep as a classroom pet through the Living Science Material Center Co-Op page.
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This month's spotlight is on "Owl Pellets".
Owls swallow their prey whole or in large pieces, but they cannot digest fur, teeth, bones, or feathers. Like other birds, owls have two chambers in their stomachs. These two chambers work together to allow the owl to digest what they can and dispel the rest into a pellet which gets spit out, usually at night while the owl is roosting.
Interesting facts about Owl Pellets:
- Owl pellets are not droppings and do not smell!
- Barn owl pellets contain the undigested fur and bones of as many as 6 small animals!
- Many kinds of birds produce pellets, including birds of prey, crows, and even sparrows. The appearance depends on what (or who) they eat.
- All owls produce pellets, and dissecting them is a great way to find out what different owls eat!
If your campus is NOT a member of the Co-op, you can order these from the Living Science eStore at this link.
Click here to watch a video of a female barn owl regurgitating a pellet in the nest.
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About Living Science
Our goal is to positively impact student learning through high quality materials & customer service.
For PUBLIC and PRIVATE/CHARTER school districts that have joined our CO-OP PROGRAM, the Living Science Center provides a variety of materials such as living organisms and non-living items giving teachers the ability to integrate into their lessons creating a fun, hands-on learning experience for students.
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Living Science Shade House & Greenhouse
The Living Science Shade House is located behind building 2. The focal point of the Shade House is the Turtle Pond which is the home to over 40 Red Slider Turtles. These turtles are checked out on a 2 week basis to those schools which are members of our CO-OP PROGRAM.
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Next to the Turtle Pond is the Greenhouse. Here we house various plants which we provide to our clients. They include Geraniums, Begonias, and two varieties of Coleus.
Available Materials
 Orders must be placed ONLINE before 3 p.m., 48 hours prior to delivery or 24 hours prior to pickup.
Labor Day, September 2
Thanksgiving, November 27-29
Winter Break, December 23-January 3
M.L. King Day, January 20
Spring Break, March 10-14
Good Friday, April 18
Battle of Flowers, May 2
Memorial Day, May 26
Independence Day, July 4
Holiday Cut Off Dates Reminder
Thanksgiving Break
The last day to order any 2 week check out animals before Thanksgiving Break will be Friday, November 8, 2024. We will resume deliveries on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
Winter Holiday Break
The last day to order any 2 week check out animals before Winter Holiday Break will be Friday, December 6, 2024. We will resume deliveries on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
Spring Break
The last day to order any 2 week check out animals before Spring Break will be Friday, February 21, 2025. We will resume deliveries on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
End of Year (Summer Break)
The last day to order any 2 week check out for any item before End of Year will be Friday, May 9, 2025
UPCOMING CENTER TRAINING
SAVE THE DATES!
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SESSION #102235
LEARNING IN LIBRARIES CONFERENCE
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SESSION #102671
ECSE AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL: SUPERKID STORIES
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SESSION #102117
ECSE 201: I KNOW WHAT TO DO, NOW WHAT?
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SESSION #101713
MASTERING YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF READING & WRITING
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SESSION #102672
AFTERSCHOOL SPECIAL: ADAPTING LITERACY
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SESSION #105714
PERSON-CENTERED TRAINING FOR FRONT-FACING STAFF
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SESSION #105627
4 THE LOVE OF LEARNING - CORE CONTENT CONFERENCE
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SESSION #100360
THE O.N.E. CONFERENCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD/ECSE 2025
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Deliveries & Returns Information
Living materials are delivered within Region 20 by the ESC-20 Living Science Van on a weekly basis. Non Region 20 schools should check with their Regional Service Centers for delivery schedule.
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